Robinson R44 II N644ME

Summary

On 31 July 2023 at about 19:00 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N644ME, operated by RAS Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Arthur, Illinois, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 July 2023 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Arthur, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

39.7173, -88.3582

Aircraft

Robinson R44 II

Registration

N644ME

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2013

Engines

1

Operator

RAS Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tuscola → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA341

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees 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 had confirmed that there were no powerlines to avoid before entering a field to perform spray operations. While spraying next to a tree line and approaching a road, the pilot could not recall whether there were powerlines or not. The pilot reported that while making a precautionary maneuver to avoid any potential powerlines, he had forgotten about the tree line. The helicopter struck a tree branch, and subsequently impacted terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and main rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.