Bell 206L-1 N828WP

Summary

On 5 July 2023 at about 19:50 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N828WP, operated by Cedar Ridge Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Amity, Missouri, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 July 2023 at 19:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Amity, Missouri, United States

Coordinates

39.8712, -94.4352

Aircraft

Bell 206L-1

Registration

N828WP

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Cedar Ridge Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA280

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to see and avoid wires while conducting a low-level aerial application flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during an aerial application flight, the helicopter impacted wires that he failed to see, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and rotor blades. He stated that a road that paralleled the field dipped down, which made the wires appear below the horizon. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.