Robinson Helicopter Co R66 N857TL accident near Merry, Nebraska

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a wire during a low-level aerial application flight.

NTSB analysis

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.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN21LA348 for the full record.