ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 265917
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| Date: | Sunday 25 July 2021 |
| Time: | 07:06 LT |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven I |
| Owner/operator: | Apex Helicopters |
| Registration: | C-FVPA |
| MSN: | 0846 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2000 |
| Engine model: | Avco Lycoming O-540-F1B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Brantford, ON -
 Canada
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | TSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A Robinson R44 Helicopter was performing aerial spray application on a corn field near Brantford, Ontario. During a spray run, the helicopter impacted a set of electrical power wires at the edge of a corn field, and subsequently crashed. The helicopter came to rest approximately 270 feet from the power wires, and was destroyed, the pilot who was the sole occupant was seriously injured.
Findings as to causes and contributing factors
1. The wires the helicopter struck were lower than other nearby wires, and were oriented along the edge of a corn field rather than the more common position alongside a road. As a result, in addition to the wires not being prominent, the pilot did not expect to encounter them in that location.
2. The eastbound portion of the reconnaissance flight path and the occurrence flight path were both conducted directly towards the sun; the sun’s glare, possibly combined with a film of spray fluid, dirt, or debris on the helicopter’s windshield, affected the pilot’s forward visibility.
3. The pilot’s frequent exposure to the risk of wire strike without a negative outcome likely altered the pilot’s risk perception and negatively influenced the thoroughness of the reconnaissance.
4. The reduced perception of risk, the unexpected location of the occurrence wires, and forward visibility impairments resulted in the pilot not identifying the wires during the reconnaissance.
5. During the presumed spray run, the downslope of the corn field being sprayed required the pilot to split her focus between maintaining the aircraft’s altitude and its track, reducing the amount of time available to scan for obstacles.
6. The combination of the ineffective reconnaissance, the unexpected location of the wires, the impaired forward visibility, and the reduced time available to detect and avoid the wires resulted in the pilot not seeing the wires during the presumed spray run. Consequently, the helicopter struck the wires and crashed.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.cp24.com/news/pilot-in-hospital-after-helicopter-crash-in-brantford-1.5522552
https://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/news/local-news/copter-crash-in-brantford
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/helicopter-crash-1.6116723
https://ottawasun.com/news/provincial/pilot-survives-helicopter-crash-in-brantford-ont-after-apparently-hitting-power-line
TSB
https://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/CCARCS-RIACC/ADetHis.aspx?id=1479161&rfr=RchHsRes.aspx?st=2&m=%7cFVPA%7c&cn=%7c%7c&mn=%7c%7c&sn=%7c%7c&cnn=%7c%7c&tn=%7c%7c&ln=%7c%7c&fn=%7c%7c&rfr2=RchHs.aspx
https://verticalmag.com/news/tsb-report-on-rr44-helicopter-crash-points-to-wire-strike-sun-glare-and-ineffective-reconnaissance/
https://farmersforum.com/helicopter-crashed-due-to-glare-from-sun-and-unusual-position-of-overhead-wires-report/
____________________
https://apexhelicoptersinc.com/fleet
http://www.rotorspot.nl/historic/c-1.php
Media:
Helicopter crash after hitting the power lines at Golf Road and Powerline Road in #Brantford. Pilot transported to hospital by @BrantParamedics. Area roads closed. @TSBCanada notified. #Brant pic.twitter.com/JdDJKVWJOb
— DR (@Media371) July 25, 2021
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Jul-2021 16:17 | Iceman 29 | Added |
| 25-Jul-2021 16:24 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 25-Jul-2021 16:27 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Operator, Source] |
| 25-Jul-2021 16:28 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Operator] |
| 25-Jul-2021 17:07 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Category] |
| 25-Jul-2021 17:57 | harro | Updated [Registration, Cn, Source] |
| 25-Jul-2021 18:25 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 26-Jul-2021 06:36 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Phase, Nature, Narrative] |
| 26-Jul-2021 06:36 | Iceman 29 | Updated [[Phase, Nature, Narrative]] |
| 26-Jul-2021 06:37 | Iceman 29 | Updated [[[Phase, Nature, Narrative]]] |
| 26-Jul-2021 06:38 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Narrative] |
| 26-Jul-2021 06:38 | Iceman 29 | Updated [[Narrative]] |
| 28-Jul-2021 06:07 | harro | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative] |
| 29-Jul-2021 11:06 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Embed code] |
| 30-Jul-2021 18:13 | Anon. | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 30-Sep-2022 06:09 | harro | Updated [Narrative, Accident report] |
| 16-Oct-2022 11:35 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code] |
| 16-Oct-2022 11:37 | Aerossurance | Updated [Operator, Location, Source] |
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