Pilot Was Assigned To Spray A 380-Acre Cornfield
On August 8, 2020, about 1845 central daylight time, a Robinson R-44II helicopter, N89LA, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Logan, Iowa. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The pilot was assigned to spray a 380-acre cornfield. The pilot had just completed several spray runs and was turning to line up for another run, when he heard the engine emit a "pop" noise and the engine then accelerated.