The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report into the fatal accident involving a helicopter engaged in agricultural operations near Oakdale, Illinois last month.
On July 31, 2023, near Oakdale, Illinois, a Richard’s Heavylift Helo UH-1H helicopter, registered as N567VF, was involved in a fatal accident during agricultural operations, which claimed the life of the sole pilot onboard.
Departure and Operations
According to data obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the helicopter took off from Mount Vernon Airport in Mount Vernon, Illinois, at approximately 7:14 AM Central Daylight Time.
The purpose of the flight was agricultural operations involving spraying fields. The helicopter proceeded to carry out its task, making several passes over different fields, and eventually arrived at the field nearest to the accident site around 1:05 PM.
Witness Observations
As the helicopter executed its passes over the field, witnesses observed a sequence of events that ultimately led to the tragic accident. The helicopter followed a pattern of north-south passes, often executing turns to the east to facilitate efficient spraying.
However, at 1:10 PM, a sudden westward turn deviated from the established pattern, resulting in the helicopter colliding with the terrain.
A resident located approximately 1.4 miles west of the accident site recounted her experience. She described hearing the helicopter’s engine as it performed its aerial work, but then the sound abruptly ceased.
Upon looking towards the field, she witnessed a plume of dust rising into the air. The helicopter had come to rest in a cornfield, with significant damage to its fuselage, transmission, engine, tail boom, and tail rotors.
Wreckage and Analysis
The main rotor blades had fractured at the main rotor mast, separating from the rotor hub. These fractured blades were scattered about 60 feet to the southeast of the main wreckage. Further examination also uncovered a portion of main rotor blade skin embedded in the soil near the main wreckage.
Weather conditions reported at the KSAR observation facility, situated 14 nautical miles from the accident site, indicated favorable visual meteorological conditions (VMC). The skies were clear, with a visibility of 10 miles or more. Wind speed was measured at 6 knots, originating from a direction of 060°.
Ongoing Investigation & Commentary
No determination of probable cause has been disclosed in the agency’s preliminary report. The helicopter was retained for further examination, and the investigation to ascertain the cause(s) of the fatal accident is ongoing.
Media reports following the fatal crash have suggested that the helicopter had been operating in the vicinity of powerlines at the time of the accident. This has not been noted in the NTSB preliminary report and it cannot be concluded whether the aircraft made contact with powerlines or ground obstructions, if this was the case.
Fresno County Sheriffs Office Statement
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office released a statement following the accident, saying:
“Late Tuesday night, American West Aviation Inc., a crop dusting company, contacted the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office to report it had not heard from the pilot of one of its helicopters. Deputies responded to the area south of Five Points to conduct a search, due to this being a spot the pilot was supposed to be working.”
“Meanwhile, both the California Highway Patrol and the crop dusting company sent out airplanes to conduct searches of their own.”
“Shortly before 3:00 am, the crop dusting plane reported seeing a matching yellow helicopter down in some trees near S. Sonoma and W. Chandler, just outside Coalinga. Deputies arrived and determined it was the helicopter they had been looking for. The pilot and sole occupant was deceased.”
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