Bell 206 N60KH

Summary

On 30 June 2017 at about 19:00 local time, a Bell 206 registered N60KH, operated by Kash Helicopter Services LLC., was involved in an accident near Uniontown, Kentucky, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 June 2017 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Uniontown, Kentucky, United States

Coordinates

37.7664, -88.0222

Aircraft

Bell 206

Registration

N60KH

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Kash Helicopter Services LLC.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Morganfield → Morganfield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA402

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate separation from power lines, which resulted in a loss of helicopter control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the helicopter reported that, while maneuvering low around power lines during an agricultural spray, he "pulled up," and the right spray boom contacted a power line. He added that the "fuselage pitched forward and the main rotor blade cut the tail boom off just aft of the horizontal stabilizer." Subsequently, the helicopter began to rapidly spin, and after one or two rotations, the pilot "closed the throttle which stopped the rotation" and "cushioned the impact." The fuselage and tailboom sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.