Robinson Helicopter CO R66 accident near Millville, Minnesota, August 16, 2022
On August 16, 2022 at about 7:50 pm local time, a 2011 Robinson Helicopter CO R66, registered N641RZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Millville, Minnesota. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate inflight planning resulted in impact with a power line.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2022 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Millville, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter CO R66, built 2011
- Registration
- N641RZ · registry record · serial 0028
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported spraying several different fields throughout the day. During the accident spray pass, the pilot sighted a power line and attempted to avoid it by lowering the collective. The helicopter struck the power line and subsequently impacted terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor blades and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation and that he should made a more complete reconnaissance of the field.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,020 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 229 in the last 90 days; 180 in the last 30 days; 940 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 14, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,706 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 28, 2022; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,700 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce RR300/250-C30 (turboshaft); 625 hours total
- Operator: Iron Horse Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PRIV Stuartville MN at 1:00 pm
- Destination: PRIV Stuartville MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from KRST, 22 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KRST 161954Z 08006KT 10SM FEW045 25/14 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP213 T02500144
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 22, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Damage Assessment | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN22LA387.