Robinson Helicopter R44 accident near Adair, Iowa, July 18, 2026
On July 18, 2026 at about 7:40 pm local time, a 1993 Robinson Helicopter R44, registered N484AT, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Adair, Iowa. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2026 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Adair, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R44, built 1993 · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- N484AT · registry record · serial 0100
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 18, 2026, about 1440 central daylight time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44, N484AT, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Adair, Iowa. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The pilot stated that he was recently hired by the owner to complete agricultural spraying operations. He spoke with the pilot who flew the helicopter on the previous day and reported that the engine governor was slow to respond and that he should watch it during subsequent flights. The accident pilot decided to load the helicopter with water and complete a test flight to ensure normal operations and no governor malfunctions. The test flight was completed with no anomalies noted, and the governor was working normally. The pilot completed about 5 hours of flight time and sprayed about 600 acres without incident. Shortly before the accident, the pilot landed the helicopter on the refueler truck and added 1 quart of oil to the engine, then continued to spray another field. The pilot had completed 2 to 3 spray passes and climbed out of the field to turn around for another pass. During the turn, the low rotor rpm horn sounded so the pilot lowered the collective and increased the throttle, which increased the rotor rpm and the horn turned off. The pilot continued another spray pass and the low rotor rpm horn sounded again. He attempted to increase the throttle beyond the governor limitation, but the horn continued. The helicopter was flying about 60 mph and was about 15 to 20 ft above the field, so he executed an autorotation and landed in the mature corn. The helicopter slid in the field and rolled left, then came to rest upright. The responding FAA inspector reported that the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades, fuselage, and tailcone. Postaccident examination revealed that the governor control unit was not secured to its mounting location but was still connected to the airframe main wiring harness. The owner and company mechanic stated that the helicopter was recently purchased for the agricultural business and discovered that the previous owner had removed the governor control unit. They acquired another governor control unit and helicopter underwent an overhaul. When the helicopter was put back into service, the governor control unit was not secured to its mounting location. The helicopter was retained for further examination.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,616 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 19, 2026; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Helicrop LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Menlo IA at 2:30 pm
- Destination: Menlo IA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 2:35 pm from KAIO, 18 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KAIO 181935Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 33/23 A2995 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN26LA259.