# Accident 19960630015639A: Bell TH13T, Mandan, ND, June 30, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 30, 1996, 07:00 local time
- Place: Mandan, ND
- Airport: Mandan Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Location: 46.8204° N, 100.8801° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.8204&lon=-100.8801&mi=10
- Aircraft: N96161, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N96161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell TH-13T (registry code 1180813, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-th-13t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL TH13T
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI96LA223](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96LA223) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960630015639A

## Narrative

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

HELICOPTER STRUCK HIGH LINE UTILITY WIRES. (-23) PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AERIAL SPRAYING OF PESTICIDE ON OPEN PASTURE. HE FINISHED SPRAYING PASTURE AREA AND WAS GOING TO PROCEED WITH SPRAYING A RAVINE AREA. PILOT HEADED EAST DOWN THE RAVINE AT APPROXIMATELY 7:00 AM. HE FAILED TO SEE HIGH TENSION POWER LINES THAT SWOOPED LOW INTO THE RAVINE. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK AND CUT POWER LINES AND CRASHED TO THE GROUND TAIL SECTION FIRST. AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. PILOT RECEIVED NO INJURIES.

## 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 CHI96LA223](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI96LA223), Jun 30, 1996: Bell TH-13T (N96161), Mandan, ND, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from known transmission lines. A factor relating to this accident was the sunglare which hindered the pilot's ability to see the transmission lines.

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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