Bell 206B N67FA

Summary

On 5 July 2023 at about 21:41 local time, a Bell 206B registered N67FA, operated by SF Leasing LLC, was involved in an accident near Chapman, Kansas, 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

5 July 2023 at 21:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Chapman, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Smokey Valley Ag (PVT)

Coordinates

38.9978, -97.0175

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N67FA

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1994

Engines

1

Operator

SF Leasing LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Junction City → Junction City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA279

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the power line during an agricultural application pass.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot intended to spray a corn field and had discussed the location of power lines with his ground crew. As he approached the field, he observed power lines on 3 sides of the field in addition to a large set of power lines feeding into an adjacent substation. The pilot completed a 360° survey to identify the hazards including power lines, guy wires, and trees. During the survey, the middle of the field appeared to be clear. The pilot initiated an initial application pass and the helicopter struck a green wire, about 1/4" in diameter. The pilot’s efforts to maintain control of the helicopter were not successful, and it subsequently impacted the corn field. The helicopter came to rest on its left side with substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom, main rotor blades, and flight controls. The pilot stated that there were no failures or malfunctions related to the helicopter before the impact with the power line. He also noted that the power line was green in color which was “practically invisible” with the background of the corn field.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.