Iowa City, IA – A crop-spraying helicopter crashed in a cornfield near Iowa City Tuesday evening, sending the pilot to the hospital and prompting a large multi-agency emergency response in Johnson County.
According to the Tiffin Fire Department, crews were dispatched at approximately 7:44 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, to the area of 2862 Rohret Road in Union Township after receiving reports that a helicopter spraying crops had crashed and was smoking near a farm.
Before emergency crews arrived, officials said a Good Samaritan located the pilot and moved the individual away from the wreckage to a safe location. Johnson County Ambulance personnel, along with Tiffin firefighters and sheriff’s deputies, reached the pilot near the farmhouse after responders closed Rohret Road because of a downed power line blocking access.
Authorities determined the pilot was the only person aboard the helicopter at the time of the crash. The pilot was treated at the scene and transported by ambulance to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Officials have not released the pilot’s condition or identity.
Firefighters located the wreckage in a nearby cornfield and assessed the scene for hazards. According to the fire department, responders worked to contain leaking hazardous fluids from the helicopter and coordinated with the utility company to address the downed power line.
The helicopter was identified as a Robinson R44 Raven II. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been notified, and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation into the cause of the crash.
No emergency responders were injured during the incident.
