# Accident 20130628011389A: Bell 206L-3, Missoula, MT, June 28, 2013

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 28, 2013, 12:30 local time
- Place: Missoula, MT
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: GFLL
- Location: 46.9800° N, 114.1198° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.9800&lon=-114.1198&mi=10
- Aircraft: N868H, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N868H) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206L-3 (registry code 1182108, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206l-3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C20 (registry code 03080, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206L-3
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C20 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 16,280 total, 4,000 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR13LA303](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13LA303) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130628011389A

## Narrative

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

ON JUNE 28, 2013, AT 1230 MST, A BELL HELICOPTER 206-L3, N868H, CRASHED WHILE CONDUCTING A PERFORMANCE DEMONSTRATION  TO THE FOREST SERVICE.VISUAL METEROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, AND THE PILOT WAS INJURED.THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT MISSOULA, MONTANA, ON JUNE 28, 2013 AT 1230 MST.

## 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 WPR13LA303](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13LA303), Jun 28, 2013: Bell 206L-3 (N868H), Missoula, MT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to prevent the helicopter from settling with power and to maintain proper position relative to an external load, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent hard landing.

## Other reports on N868H (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20260115000099A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260115000099A), Jan 15, 2026: Bell 206L-3 (N868H), Logsden, OR, Destroyed. An interview of the PIC revealed the following. The accident occurred at the beginning of a part 137 operation using a hopper/bucket to spread fertilizer. The…

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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