Robinson R66 N857TL

Summary

On 30 July 2021 at about 17:00 local time, a Robinson R66 registered N857TL, operated by Higgins Leasing Inc, was involved in an accident near Merry, Nebraska, 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

30 July 2021 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Merry, Nebraska, United States

Coordinates

42.2239, -96.5997

Aircraft

Robinson R66

Registration

N857TL

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Higgins Leasing Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA348

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a wire 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 while cresting a hill at the end of a field during an aerial application pass, the helicopter’s skids struck power lines and subsequently impacted terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and rotors. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations. The pilot reported that the aerial application pass was over rolling hills with terrain elevation changes of about 300 ft. and that could not see the end of the field where the power lines were because of the hill. When he crested the hill and saw the powerlines at eye-level, he attempted to climb over the power lines, but the skids struck the top static wire.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.