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WPR24LA092

2023-12-05 · Calexico, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CXL

Current FAA registration · N422DX

Make / Model
ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44 II
Year of manufacture
2009 · 14 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING IO-540-AE1A5 (260 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20090513
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A5036E

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines during an aerial application flight.

Factual narrative

The pilot was on an aerial application flight and was maneuvering the helicopter at a low altitude. During a decent to a field, the main rotor blade struck a powerline wire. The pilot felt an unusual vibration and performed a precautionary landing. A postflight examination revealed that a main rotor blade sustained substantial damage. No preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation were reported. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Wire-Effect on equipment

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_WPR24LA092.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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