History of Flight
On July 31, 2023, about 1311 central daylight time, a Richard's Heavylift Helo UH-1H helicopter, registration N567VF, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Oakdale, Illinois. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight was conducted as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application operation.
According to ADS-B data, the helicopter departed Mount Vernon Airport, Mount Vernon, Illinois, about 0714. After spraying several fields, it began working the field nearest the accident site at 1305. The helicopter made several north-south passes over the field, with turns to the east between passes. At 1310, the helicopter turned west over powerlines and then impacted terrain.
A resident living about 1.4 miles west of the accident site reported hearing and seeing the helicopter as it sprayed. The engine sounded normal until she no longer heard it; looking toward the field, she saw a plume of dust.
Wreckage and Impact
The helicopter came to rest in a corn field. All major components—fuselage, transmission, engine, tail boom, and tail rotors—were present at the site. The main rotor mast was fractured level with the bottom of the rotor hub. Both main rotor blades remained attached and were impact damaged; blade skin was scattered near the main wreckage. A debris field of smaller items extended mainly west, north, and east of the main wreckage.
The helicopter was equipped with an Ag-NAV Guia Platinum P771 GPS device and a Garmin Aera 510 portable GPS receiver. Both units were recovered and sent to the NTSB Recorders Laboratory for data download.
Downloaded data from the Ag-Nav P771 covered the accident flight from 0718:04 to 1310:11.9 at 5 cycles per second. The Garmin Aera 510 recorded data from 0710:31 to 1311:12 at variable intervals.
Altitude data from both devices were consistent with the pilot flying over the southern power lines during each turn to reverse course. The Ag-Nav did not record the final climb. The Garmin recorded a climb and westerly turn with a close path near a power pole; however, no wire damage or electrical arcing signatures were observed on the power lines (located about 45 yards north of the accident site) or on the wreckage.
An extensive review of helicopter systems found no preimpact anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have contributed to the accident.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot, authorized by the Washington County Coroner, listed the cause of death as blunt force injuries. The autopsy identified coronary artery disease with 90% narrowing of the left anterior descending coronary artery and 75% narrowing of the right coronary artery. No other significant natural disease was noted.
Toxicological testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected cetirizine and meloxicam in pilot specimens. Cetirizine is a second-generation antihistamine available over the counter; it may cause drowsiness and the FAA recommends a 48-hour waiting period after use before flying. Meloxicam is a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug associated with increased cardiovascular risk but is not typically impairing.
The pilot did not report using any medications on his most recent FAA medical certificate application, dated January 16, 2023.