Robinson R44 II N556MM

Summary

On 14 July 2012 at about 22:50 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N556MM, operated by Johnson Helicopter Services, LLC., was involved in an accident near Red Oak, Iowa, 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

14 July 2012 at 22:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Red Oak, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

41.0861, -95.2631

Aircraft

Robinson R44 II

Registration

N556MM

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Johnson Helicopter Services, LLC.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Red Oak → Red Oak

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12LA443

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the ground-support vehicle during landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was unable to activate the motorized spray system after arriving at the field to be sprayed. He returned to the departure location in order to troubleshoot the inoperative spray system. As he maneuvered the helicopter to land next to a ground-support vehicle, the main rotor system impacted a landing platform installed on top of the vehicle. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter. The wind near the time of the accident was reported as calm. In the absence of any mechanical malfunctions or adverse atmospheric conditions, the pilot should have been able to maintain proper distance from the known obstacle.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.