Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Lubbock, Texas
Robinson Helicopter Company; Torrance, California
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
Location: Dimmitt, TX
Accident Number: CEN17FA209
Date & Time: 06/03/2017, 1437 CDT
Registration: N7091F
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Business
On June 3, 2017, about 1437 central daylight time, a Robinson R44 II helicopter, N7091F, impacted terrain while maneuvering at near Dimmitt, Texas. The private pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The helicopter was registered to Don Oppliger Trucking, Inc, Clovis, New Mexico, and privately operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the local business flight, which departed a private helipad near Farwell, Texas, about 1302.
According to the pilot's business manager, the pilot departed on a routine flight to check and observe crop fields, business facilities, and other business-related assets. When the pilot did not return from the flight, a search was initiated. The helicopter wreckage was located in a field about 0800 the following morning. There were no witnesses to the accident.
Flight data downloaded from a Garmin GPSmap 496 handheld GPS unit located at the accident site included the accident flight. Data extracted from the unit included 13 flight track logs from April 22, 2017, to June 3, 2017. The accident flight was recorded starting at 1302:31 and ended at 1437:28, and included 730 discrete points. The flight track was consistent with the pilot overflying fields, facilities, and other business assets. The end of the data showed the helicopter making a series of turns at a low altitude above the field where the wreckage was located.
Pilot Information
Certificate: Private
Age: 68, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: None
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 03/29/2017
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time: 4225 hours (Total, all aircraft), 177 hours (Total, this make and model)
The pilot held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) private pilot certificate with airplane single and multi-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot did not hold a rotorcraft rating; however, according to his business manager, he had flown helicopters for several years for business purposes. Based on the 177 total hours on the accident helicopter, the pilot's estimated rotorcraft flight experience was at least 177 hours. The pilot reported a total flight experience of 4,225 hours on his 2016 FAA medical certificate application.
According to the FAA medical files, the 68 year-old pilot reported having had a 4 vessel coronary artery bypass graft procedure in 2008, followed by a stent in his right coronary artery in 2009. After reviewing the data related to these events, the FAA granted the pilot special issuance medical certificates beginning in 2010. At the time of his last aviation medical examination on March 29, 2017, he reported using aspirin and clopidogrel as blood thinners, losartan for blood pressure control, and a combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin to control his cholesterol. None of these were considered impairing. A stress echo cardiogram, dated January 6, 2017, demonstrated that the pilot reached 16 mets, more than 150% of the target heart rate, and had no ischemic findings on his electrocardiogram or echocardiogram. The aviation medical examiner found no abnormalities and the pilot received a special issuance third class medical certificate limited by a requirement for corrective lenses and marked, "Not valid for any class after March 31, 2018."
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY
Registration: N7091F
Model/Series: R44 II II
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Year of Manufacture: 2015
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 13910
Landing Gear Type: Skid;
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 03/20/2017, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 2500 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection: 27 Hours
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 177 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: Not installed
Engine Model/Series: IO-540-AE1A5
Registered Owner: DON OPPLIGER TRUCKING INC
Rated Power: 245 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
The accident helicopter, serial number 13910, was a Robinson R44 II, four-place, two-bladed, single main rotor, single-engine helicopter, with skid-type landing gear. The primary structure was welded steel tubing and riveted aluminum. The tailboom was a semi-monocoque structure consisting of an aluminum skin. Each seat was equipped with a combined seat belt and inertia reel shoulder strap.
The helicopter was equipped with a Lycoming IO-540- AE1A5 engine, serial number L-36203-48E, rated at 260 horsepower; however, according to the helicopter's type certificate, the engine had a 5-minute takeoff rating of 245 horsepower and a maximum continuous rating of 205 horsepower.
The helicopter was registered to the owner on December 1, 2015.
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: HRX, 3788 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 28 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 1435 CDT
Direction from Accident Site: 300°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 4000 ft agl
Visibility: 10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 3 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual: / None
Wind Direction: 70°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /
Altimeter Setting: 30.06 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 26°C / 14°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Precipitation
Departure Point: Farwell, TX (PVT)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Farwell, TX (PVT)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1302 CDT
Type of Airspace: Class G
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 34.420556, -102.512222
Examination of the accident site revealed that the helicopter came to rest on its right side in a wheat field (the wheat crop was about 3 inches tall) owned by the pilot's business. Three ground scars, consistent with main rotor blade strikes, were observed adjacent to the main wreckage. Fragmented plexiglass was scattered between the ground scars and main wreckage. Separated sections of the main rotor blades were located within a 75-ft diameter of the main wreckage; the main rotor blades were fragmented, bent, deformed, and their root sections remained attached to the rotor hub. No evidence of contact with any adjacent structures or power lines was observed.
The lower forward fuselage was crushed aft and upward. The tailboom was intact, and the horizontal stabilizer was bent. No damage was noted to the tail skid. The forward landing gear skid tubes were fractured, and the left forward skid tube was separated and located in the debris field. The left forward door was separated, the right forward door and rear cabin doors were damaged and partially fragmented. The forward seat belts and shoulder harnesses were unlatched. The helicopter was not equipped with an emergency locator transmitter.
Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit flight controls to the swashplate and tail rotor system. Drivetrain continuity was established from the engine to the main transmission and tail rotor systems.
The engine remained attached to the engine mount and secured in the airframe. Thumb compression was noted on all cylinders, and mechanical continuity throughout the engine was established. The magnetos and ignition leads produced spark when engine crankshaft was rotated.
Medical And Pathological Information
An autopsy was performed by South Plains Forensic Pathology, P.A., Lubbock, Texas. The cause of death was blood loss due to visceral injuries due to blunt force injuries, and the manner of death was an accident.
The autopsy also described significant heart disease. The heart weighed 610 gm and both the ventricles were dilated; the left ventricle was described as having severe hypertrophy, but no measurements were given. There was very severe coronary artery disease in the native arteries, but the grafts were all described as patent. A stent was identified, but not further described. Sections of the myocardium revealed scarring from old heart attacks in the left ventricle. Microscopy of the heart showed myocyte hypertrophy with interstitial and perivascular fibrosis. There were areas where adipose and fibrotic tissue replaced normal cells.
Toxicology testing performed by the Federal Aviation Administration's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, identified no ethanol in the vitreous. In addition, salicylate (a metabolite of aspirin) was found in urine, losartan was found in cavity blood and liver, and clopidogrel was identified in liver tissue. As stated above, none of these are considered impairing.
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, June 03, 2017 in Dimmitt, TX
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II, registration: N7091F
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On June 3, 2017, about 1750 central daylight time, a Robinson R44 II single-engine helicopter, N7091F, impacted terrain while maneuvering near Dimmitt, Texas. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The helicopter was registered to Don Oppliger Trucking, Inc, Clovis, New Mexico, and operated by a private individual under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a business flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a flight plan was not filed for the local flight. The flight departed a private helipad near Farwell, Texas, about 1300.
According to the pilot's business personnel, the pilot departed on a routine flight to check and observe crop fields, business facilities, and other business-related assets. The pilot did not return from the flight and a search was initiated. The helicopter accident site was located about 0800 on June 4, 2017, by business personnel. There were no witnesses to the accident.
Examination of the accident site revealed the helicopter came to rest on its right side in a wheat field (wheat crop was about 3 inches tall). Three ground scars, consistent with the main rotor blades, were observed adjacent to the main wreckage. Fragmented plexiglass was scattered between the ground scars and main wreckage. Separated sections of the main rotor blades were located within a 75-foot diameter of the main wreckage, and the main rotor blades were fragmented, bent, deformed, and remained attached to the rotor hub. The lower forward fuselage was crushed aft and upward. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit flight controls to the swashplate and tail rotor system. Drivetrain continuity was established from the engine to the main transmission and tail rotor systems.
The closest National Weather Service reporting site was from the Clovis Municipal Airport (CVN), Clovis, New Mexico, located about 32 miles west of the accident site. At 1735, the CVN site reported winds from 200 at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 10,000 feet, scattered clouds at 12,000 feet, temperature 22 degrees C, dew point 14 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.04 inches of Mercury.
Donald "Don" Oppliger
1949-2017
Donald "Don" Oppliger, 68, of Amarillo, TX, died Sunday, June 4, 2017, in Dimmitt, TX.
Don was born April 7, 1949, in Columbus, NE, to Edward and Edna Oppliger.
He graduated from Columbus High School in Nebraska and attended the University of Nebraska.
He married Joi Christopher on Aug. 14, 1976, in Blair, NE.
Don owned and operated the Don Oppliger Companies, which include feedlots, farms, and ranches spread across roughly 150,000 acres in Texas, New Mexico, and Nebraska.
He began his business in 1980 with rented farmland in Hereford and quickly began expanding it with the purchase of a 15,000 head feedlot in Farwell.
Don then acquired a 35,000 head feedlot in Clovis, NM, in 1991 and later purchased his first Nebraska farm in Lincoln County, NE, on which he built at 55,000 head feedlot, which he later expanded to 70,000 head.
In the last decade, Don acquired multiple ranches across Eastern and Western Nebraska and additional farmland and feedlots in Nebraska and Texas.
His integrated and diversified operations also included a dairy and a trucking company.
Despite the complexity of the operation, Don somehow managed to track the many details of his businesses in his head and a small notepad he kept in his shirt pocket.
He loved cattle and enjoyed checking on his many pastures and feedlots from the cockpit of his plane or helicopters.
Aside from attending Nebraska Cornhusker games, farming and flying were his favorite hobbies.
"People say he died doing what he loved," Ben Oppliger said. "That's really true."
Although Oppliger was a successful and wealthy landowner, he also was down-to-earth and always willing to make time for a visit, said Joe Herrod, who owns property neighboring Oppliger's west of Sutherland.
Outside of the industry, few people knew he was such a large operator, Herrod added.
"He was a wonderful neighbor, just an aw-shucks kind of guy," he said. "It's really a shame."
He was preceded in death by a son, Grant Oppliger; and a sister, Lori Prill.
Survivors include his wife, Joi Oppliger, of Amarillo; a son, Benjamin Oppliger and wife Katie, of Amarillo; a granddaughter, Madison Oppliger, of Amarillo; three sisters: Rita Peters and husband Don of Elkhorn, NE; Diane Thompson and husband Joe, of Lincoln, NE; and Phyllis Olson and husband Ralph, of Columbus, NE.
THE FAMILY WILL RECEIVE FRIENDS from 6-7pm Wednesday, June 7, 2017, at the funeral home.
SERVICES will be at 1pm Thursday, June 8, 2017, at Polk Street United Methodist Church with Dr. Burt Palmer, senior pastor and the Rev. Kevin Deckard, associate pastor, officiating.
Burial will follow at 4pm, in Farwell Cemetery in Farwell, TX. Sign the online guestbook at www.boxwellbrothers.com
Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors 2800 Paramount Blvd. Amarillo, TX 79109 (806) 355-8156
Don Oppliger, whose massive agribusiness the Oppliger Companies is headquartered in Amarillo, was killed in a helicopter crash Sunday in Castro County. He was 68.
Documents from the Castro County Sheriff’s Office said they were called just after 8 a.m. Sunday by the Parmer County (N.M.) Sheriff’s Office after they were notified by an employee of one of Oppliger’s ranches concerning a helicopter crash in the southwestern area of Castro County.
Authorities discovered a crash site in a wheat field about a half mile south of the 200 block of County Road 623. Castro County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted an investigation of the scene and identified Oppliger has the pilot of the helicopter.
He was pronounced dead at the scene by Castro County Justice of the Peace Oreda Campbell, and an autopsy has been ordered.
No other people were believed to be with Oppliger at the time of the crash.
The investigation into the crash in ongoing and is being conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.
Oppliger started his business career in 1980 when he rented farmland in Hereford that grew corn from the Frito-Lay Company, and then expanded it with a 15,000 head feedlot in Farwell, according to the Oppliger Companies website. The cattle-feeding operation thrived under the watch of Oppliger, who relocated it to the Texas-New Mexico border.
Oppliger then acquired a 35,000 head feedlot near Clovis, N.M., in 1991, as well as more irrigated farmland to supply the new lot, before expanding again to Lincoln County, Neb., in 1998 with a 55,000 head feedlot that he later expanded to more than 70,000.
In the last decade, the Oppliger Companies have acquired multiple ranches across western Nebraska, additional farmland in Nebraska and Texas, and two feedlots located near our larger farming operations.
The company currently operates 10 locations across the Texas Panhandle, eastern New Mexico and Nebraska, including locations in Texline, Dalhart, Farwell and Dimmitt.
The company’s website says it has more that 55,000 acres of irrigated farmland and is headquartered in downtown Amarillo on Polk Street.
Attempts to reach the Oppliger Companies for comment went unreturned.
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