Robinson R66 N7078V

Summary

On 27 June 2021 at about 15:43 local time, a Robinson R66 registered N7078V, operated by Blade Ag LLC, was involved in an accident near Waxhaw, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 June 2021 at 15:43

Classification

Accident

Location

Waxhaw, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

34.9670, -80.6469

Aircraft

Robinson R66

Registration

N7078V

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2013

Engines

1

Operator

Blade Ag LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pageland → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA270

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from powerlines during a low-level aerial application flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he observed several power lines when performing reconnaissance flights prior to beginning spraying operations. He attempted to avoid them as he began applying the fungicide to the corn field; however, the helicopter impacted a green, thin power line “less than the diameter of a pencil” that the pilot had not previously observed. The helicopter began to vibrate and became difficult to control. The pilot initiated a 180° right turn to avoid trees and the helicopter impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot stated that the helicopter had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.