Bell 206L-1 N5017G
4 April 2026 · Chimney Rock, Montana, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 4 April 2026 at about 22:00 local time, a Bell 206L-1 registered N5017G was involved in an accident near Chimney Rock, Montana, United States. 2 people were 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.
The record
- Date
- at 22:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Chimney Rock, Montana, United States
- Nearest airport
- Mountain grassy meadow
- Coordinates
- 45.5439, -110.7480
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-1
- Registration
- N5017G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1979
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Livingston → Livingston
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR26LA146
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from the terrain while performing a low altitude circling takeoff maneuver, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were on a personal flight practicing off airport landings. After landing in an open meadow, the pilot elected to depart using a low altitude circling maneuver. The pilot stated the purpose of the maneuver was to gain effective translational lift. During the maneuver, as the helicopter accelerated, it began to descend, and the left skid contacted the terrain, resulting in a dynamic rollover. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, , main rotor system, tail rotor system, and empennage. The pilot stated that they received training in circling takeoff maneuvers during their commercial pilot training and had previously performed similar maneuvers. The pilot reported there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell 206 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jun 2026 | Bell 206 | Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Rio de Janeiro., Brazil | - | Fatal | 9 |
| 12 Jun 2026 | Bell 206 | Lesa, Italy | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 18 Jan 2026 | Bell 206L-1 | Kamas, Utah, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Jan 2026 | Bell 206L-3 | Logsden, Oregon, United States | Weyerhaeuser NR Co | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Jan 2026 | Bell 206 | Queensland, Australia | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 May 2026 | Bell 206-L4 | Cedar City, Utah, United States | Southern Utah University | Minor injuries | - |
All 1,732 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Apr 2026 | Aero Vodochody L-39 | Ennis, Montana, United States | JDI Holdings LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Apr 2026 | Cessna T182 | Marion, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Feb 2026 | Piper PA-20 | Three Forks, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 2026 | Cessna 500 | Great Falls, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Feb 2026 | Bell Helicopter Textron Canada BHT407 | Libby, Montana, United States | A L E R T Kalispell Regional Medical Center Inc | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 2026 | Harmon ROCKET II | Glasgow, Montana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |