Texas OH-13E/M74 N176MR

Summary

On 24 July 2013 at about 16:30 local time, a Texas OH-13E/M74 registered N176MR, operated by Reynolds Aerial Service LLC, was involved in an accident near Champaign, Illinois, 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

24 July 2013 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Champaign, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

40.1631, -88.3072

Aircraft

Texas OH-13E/M74

Registration

N176MR

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Reynolds Aerial Service LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Champaign → Champaign

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13LA436

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter during an aerial application maneuver.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the helicopter reported that he was completing a turn to re-enter a field for an aerial application pass when he heard a loud "pop" and felt a vibration and noted with a decay in rotor speed. He applied aft cyclic and reduced the collective, initiating an autorotation. He stated that the helicopter rolled to the left and that he applied right cyclic with no response. He was able to raise the nose of the helicopter before impacting corn in a 15-degree left bank. The helicopter came to rest 120 degrees from the direction of flight with the engine running. A postaccident examination of the helicopter and a metallurgical examination of the fractured main rotor system components did not reveal any failure or malfunction that would have resulted in the loss of control as described by the pilot.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.