Bell 206L-3 N868H

Summary

On 15 January 2026 at about 16:37 local time, a Bell 206L-3 registered N868H, operated by Weyerhaeuser NR Co, was involved in an accident near Logsden, Oregon, 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

15 January 2026 at 16:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Logsden, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

44.0000, -123.0000

Aircraft

Bell 206L-3

Registration

N868H

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1989

Engines

1

Operator

Weyerhaeuser NR Co

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

External Load

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR26LA086

1 person was seriously injured.

The inadvertent entanglement of a long line with the skid, which resulted in a loss of flight control. Contributing to the accident was the use of nylon lines instead of steel cables to secure the bucket.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During an aerial application reconnaissance flight, the helicopter departed with a fertilizer bucket attached which was held on by three nylon lines. As the helicopter lifted off and climbed out, the pilot noticed initially that all three nylon lines were hanging downward and moving appropriately with the bucket. The pilot continued to climb out and turned slightly to the right, away from obstacles. However, at this time, the pilot realized that the helicopter was not responding correctly to his flight control inputs. Looking in the mirror, he noticed that the bucket was hanging at a 45° angle and that one of the nylon lines connected to the bucket was wrapped over the right front skid and up against the cross-tube. The helicopter remained in a constant right turn and the pilot struggled to maintain control. He then attempted to release the bucket, but subsequently the helicopter impacted terrain and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and main rotor blades. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies or malfunctions that could have precluded normal operation. He further stated that the nylon lines used to secure the bucket were lighter weight than the steel cable lines normally used and moved substantially in the airflow.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.