Waterloo, IL, USA
N442JE
ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
On July 22, 2022, about 0920 central daylight time, a Robinson R44 helicopter, N442JE, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Waterloo, Illinois. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. The pilot reported that he was maneuvering at low altitude while applying fungicide to a corn field. The collective flight control stiffened to a point that the pilot was unable to arrest his descent rate. The pilot attempted to use cyclic control to flare the helicopter and arrest the descent, however, the cyclic control was not responsive. The pilot stated that he suspected that the flight controls hydraulic assist system malfunctioned. The tail boom separated during the impact sequence, resulting in substantial damage. The helicopter was examined on-site, and the hydraulic flight control components were removed for further inspection.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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