On July 31, 2014, a ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44 UNDESIGNAT operated by SHENANDOAH AGRICULTRUAL SPRAY SERVICE IN was involved in an aviation accident near Allen, NE. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot did not ensure sufficient obstacle clearance for potential wind conditions, which resulted in his loss of control of the helicopter. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A helicopter conducting an agricultural spray operation lost control after encountering stronger winds and turbulence, striking a power line guy-wire and impacting the ground nose-first.
Accident Sequence
The helicopter pilot was conducting an agricultural spray operation over a sloped field with several hills and valleys. During approximately the fortieth pass, as the pilot approached a set of midfield power lines, stronger winds with significant turbulence were encountered. The pilot subsequently lost control of the helicopter, which then struck a guy-wire supporting the midfield power lines. After striking the guy-wire, the helicopter impacted the ground in a nose-first attitude.
Background
The operation involved spraying a sloped agricultural field. The pilot had completed numerous passes prior to the accident. The field's terrain included hills and valleys, and midfield power lines were present. No other details about the operation or the helicopter have been specified.
Contributing factors
Causes
PilotAltitude — Not attained/maintained
Other contributing factors
Response/compensationContributed to outcome
Related events
Same aircraft family
15 Aug 2026 — ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA
13 Aug 2026 — ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II (Collin Johnson)
An X-AIR HAWK ultralight crashed in Chonburi, Thailand, killing the pilot and injuring a passenger. The accident was caused by deteriorated wing fabric and…
A Challenger II Special ultralight aircraft (U-B23) landed off-runway at Pai Airport, Mae Hong Son, on September 17, 2024, due to a gust of wind. No injuries…
The Polish aviation safety authority is investigating a serious incident involving an AT-3R100 aircraft that occurred on September 2, 2024. The investigation…
A SZD-48-3 glider suffered damage when its left wing struck a ground obstacle during a low final approach at EPWK on June 20, 2025. The pilot was uninjured.
A 39-year-old skydiver died after a hard landing near Leszno on May 1, 2026. The PKBWL preliminary report indicates the fatal impact resulted from a late,…
A student pilot crashed an SZD-50-3 Puchacz glider into the airfield fence during a solo training flight on June 6, 2026. The pilot was uninjured, but the…