# Accident 19960318004239A: Bell 206B, La Grande, OR, March 18, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 18, 1996, 08:00 local time
- Place: La Grande, OR
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: FZQA
- Location: 45.3198° N, 118.2002° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.3198&lon=-118.2002&mi=10
- Aircraft: N57362, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N57362-2005-06-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206B (registry code 1181511, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250 SER 250HP (registry code 03002, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-ser-250hp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206B
- Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20B
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,174 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA96LA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA96LA070) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960318004239A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

TAIL ROTER CLIPPED TREES, CRASHED IN FIELD, LANDED ON SIDE. SKIDS BENT, TAIL ROTOR BLADE BROKE OFF. BOOM BENT. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER PERFORMING A LOW-ALTITUDE AERIAL APPLICATION SPRAY RUN, HE INITIATED A CLIMB TO CLEAR TREES.  THE LEFT SPRAY BOOM IMPACTED ONE OF THE TREES AND THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO ROTATE TO THE RIGHT.  THE PILOT APPLIED FULL LEFT PEDAL, BUT THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO ROTATE TO THE RIGHT.  THE PILOT INITIATED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT WHILE TRYING TO AVOID OBSTACLES.  THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND WHILE ROTATING AND ROLLED OVER.                                                                       (.19)ON MARCH 18, 1996, ABOUT 0800 PST, N57362, A BELL 206B HELICOPTER, OPERATED BY PIONEER AVIATION, INC., LA GRANDE, OREGON, IMPATCHED TREES AND TERRAIN AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR LA GRANDE.  THE COMMERICAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIEVED MINOR INJURIES.  VISUAL FILED.  THE AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGTH WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR 137.  ACCORDING TO AN FAA AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR FROM BOISE, IDAHO, THE HELICOPTER TAIL ROTOR "CLIPPED TREES" WHILE PEROFRMING A LOW ALTITUDE AERIAL APPLICATION.                                         THE HELICOPTER THEN IMPACTED TERRAIN AND ROLLED OVER ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. THE CABIN AND TAIL BOOM WERE SUBSTANIALLY DAMAGED.  NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE REPORTED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA96LA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA96LA070), Mar 18, 1996: Bell 206B (N57362), La Grande, OR, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with trees after pulling up from an aerial application spray run.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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