Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Des Moines, Iowa
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board
Location: Larchwood, IA
Accident Number: CEN18LA025
Date & Time: 11/06/2017, 1310 CST
Registration: N7085M
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
Injuries: 2 Serious
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Aerial Observation
On November 6, 2017, about 1310 central standard time, a Robinson Helicopter R44 helicopter, N7085M, was substantially damaged when it impacted powerlines and then terrain 4.5 miles south of Larchwood, Iowa. The commercial pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. The aerial observation flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight plan had been filed for the flight. The local flight departed about 1300.
According to the passenger and witnesses on the ground, the helicopter was assisting in locating and herding 300 cattle that were loose in the area. The helicopter was assisting the ground team to push the cattle towards an open gate directly beneath powerlines. Witnesses on the ground observed the helicopter hovering and as it started to turn, the "tail" of the helicopter hit the powerlines. The helicopter descended to the ground and came to rest on its right side in a corn field. Several witnesses and the passenger stated that the helicopter looked and sounded normal prior to the impact.
A video of the accident taken by another witness on the ground showed the helicopter maneuvering near the powerlines, with the nose of the helicopter facing away from the powerlines. The tail of the helicopter impacted the powerlines, followed by the main rotor blades. The helicopter rotated once before impacting the ground.
According to a FAA inspector who responded to the accident, the tailboom separated from the fuselage and both main rotors were substantially damaged. An examination of the helicopter, engine, and remaining systems revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
An official weather observation taken 18 miles northwest of the accident site reported the weather as wind 060° at 7 knots, visibility 1.5 miles in light snow, overcast skies at 2,300 ft above ground level, temperature -1° C, dewpoint temperature -4°C, and an altimeter of 30.26 inches of mercury. The witnesses on the ground at the accident site characterized the weather as overcast, windy, unlimited visibility, and no precipitation.
At the writing of this report, the pilot had no recollection of the accident or the events that led up to the accident.
Pilot Information
Certificate: Commercial
Age: 45, Male
Airplane Rating(s): None
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Helicopter
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): None
Second Pilot Present: No
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 09/26/2017
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent: 04/15/2017
Flight Time: (Estimated) 5200 hours (Total, all aircraft), 5000 hours (Total, this make and model)
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Manufacturer: ROBINSON HELICOPTER
Registration: N7085M
Model/Series: R44
Aircraft Category: Helicopter
Year of Manufacture: 1998
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 0430
Landing Gear Type: Skid;
Seats: 4
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 06/15/2017, 100 Hour
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection: 38.6 Hours
Engines: 1 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 2042.8 Hours at time of accident
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT:
Engine Model/Series: O-540-F185
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power: 250 hp
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Instrument Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KFSD
Observation Time: 1256 CST
Distance from Accident Site: 18 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 310°
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Temperature/Dew Point: -1°C / -4°C
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 2300 ft agl
Visibility: 1.5 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 7 knots, 60°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 30.26 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: Light - Snow
Departure Point: Larchwood, IA
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Larchwood, IA
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1300 CST
Type of Airspace: Class G
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Serious
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Serious
Latitude, Longitude: 43.382222, -96.439167
NTSB Identification: CEN18LA025
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, November 06, 2017 in Larchwood, IA
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44, registration: N7085M
Injuries: 2 Serious.
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 may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On November 6, 2017, about 1310 central standard time, a Robinson Helicopter R44 helicopter, N7085M, was substantially damaged when it impacted a powerline and then terrain 4.5 miles south of Larchwood, Iowa. The commercial pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. The aerial observation flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight plan had been filed for the flight. The local flight departed about 1300.
According to law enforcement officers, the helicopter was assisting in locating 300 cattle that were loose in the area. Witness on the ground observed the helicopter hovering and as it started to turn the "tail" of the helicopter hit the power lines. The helicopter descended to the ground and came to rest on its right side in a corn field. The tailboom separated from the fuselage and both main rotors were substantially damaged.
Inwood, I.A. - Two people are in the hospital with serious injuries Monday, following a helicopter crash in northwest Iowa. The Lyon County Sheriff's Office confirmed to KSFY that the helicopter went down around 1:20 Monday afternoon in a field near West Lyon High School in Inwood
Authorities put up crime scene tape and blocked off the area. Lyon County Sheriff Stewart VanderStoep said the helicopter was helping crews on the ground search for 300 head of cattle on the loose in the area when it hit a power line and crashed. Sheriff VanderStoep said the two men in the helicopter have serious injuries. He said the helicopter belonged to a private agency and was hired by the farmer to search for the cattle.
“We do have cattle loose quite a bit. 300 at the same time, that's pretty rare, but we do go probably every two weeks, we'll get a call that there's some cattle out. Usually we figure out who they belong to by calling farmers in the area, Sheriff VanderStoep said.
The Federal Aviation Administration is scheduled to arrive at the scene of the crash Tuesday morning. The Lyon county sheriff said he hopes to have more information after that. Sheriff VanderStoep said the city of Rock Rapids was without power for about 10 minutes following the crash.
Story and video ➤ http://www.ksfy.com
UPDATE: Rural Inwood, Iowa — Two people injured in a helicopter crash in western Lyon County this afternoon (Monday, November 6th) were searching for loose cattle. That from Lyon County Sheriff Stewart Vander Stoep.
The Sheriff says when the helicopter hit the line, there was a power outage.
According to Rock Rapids Utility Manager Jim Hoye, it was an L & O Power Coop line that feeds Rock Rapids. He says Rock Rapids has two feeds from L & O, and he says it’s possible that L & O switched feeds to get the power back on in Rock Rapids. L & O officials were unavailable for comment at the time of this writing.
Original story:
Lyon County, Iowa — KIWA has learned that emergency crews are on the scene of a reported helicopter crash that happened early this afternoon.
Sources tell us that the helicopter apparently struck an electrical wire before crashing, southwest of West Lyon School.
Story and audio ➤ http://kiwaradio.com
INWOOD, Iowa | Two men sustained serious injuries following a helicopter crash Monday afternoon near Inwood.
The helicopter went down in a field near West Lyon Community Schools around 1:20 p.m. after it struck an electrical wire, said Lyon County Sheriff Stewart Vander Stoep.
Both of the men were transported to Sioux Falls hospitals. One was taken to Sanford Hospital and the other was taken to Avera McKinnon Hospital.
Vander Stoep said the men had been searching the area for missing cattle, which were reported loose around 3:20 a.m. Monday. As of 5:45 p.m. Monday, about 65 of the cattle were still missing, he said.
Vander Stoep said he did not know where the men were from, or who owned the helicopter that crashed. No names have been released.
Representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration will be arriving on site to investigate, he said.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://siouxcityjournal.com
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