What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 26, 2024, at 0659 mountain daylight time, a Bell 206-L4, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Anaconda, Montana. The pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 137 aerial application flight. Security camera video, taken from cameras located about 0.5 miles north of the staging area, captured the helicopter arriving and landing at the staging area at 0633. The security video indicates
The pilot and ground crew member then conducted a safety briefing with a customer representative. According to the representative, the wind was calm during the briefing and remained calm for several hours that morning. After the briefing the helicopter lifted off at 0643 and maneuvered over the load truck. The helicopter departed the staging area with the first load of fertilizer at 0644, flew to the west and exited the view of the security camera. The helicopter re-entered the camera's field of view from the west, flew past the south side of the staging area, turned to a northwest heading as it approached the load truck before completing a second onload of fertilizer. The helicopter departed the staging area the second time at 0650, flew out of the field of view to the west, and returned into view from the west at 0656. The helicopter approached the load truck a third time heading to the northwest, flying a similar approach as before. The helicopter appeared to hover over or near the load truck for 2-3 seconds and then turn and fly away in an easterly direction. The helicopter reapproached the load truck and appeared to complete a third onload of fertilizer. The helicopter then departed and climbed to the west. The helicopter appeared to accelerate and climb out normally to about 200 ft above the ground. About 20 seconds after departing the load truck the helicopter rotated about 180° to the left and descended rapidly in a nose low attitude until it went out of view behind terrain. There are no known witnesses to the accident sequence.
The helicopter was removed from the accident site and sent to another facility for further examination.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 26, 2024, AT 0659 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELL 206-L4, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR ANACONDA, MONTANA. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. SECURITY CAMERA VIDEO, TAKEN FROM CAMERAS LOCATED ABOUT 0.5 MILES NORTH OF THE STAGING AREA, CAPTURED THE HELICOPTER ARRIVING AND LANDING AT THE STAGING AREA AT 0633. THE SECURITY VIDEO INDICATES
THE PILOT AND GROUND CREW MEMBER THEN CONDUCTED A SAFETY BRIEFING WITH A CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE. ACCORDING TO THE REPRESENTATIVE, THE WIND WAS CALM DURING THE BRIEFING AND REMAINED CALM FOR SEVERAL HOURS THAT MORNING. AFTER THE BRIEFING THE HELICOPTER LIFTED OFF AT 0643 AND MANEUVERED OVER THE LOAD TRUCK. THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED THE STAGING AREA WITH THE FIRST LOAD OF FERTILIZER AT 0644, FLEW TO THE WEST AND EXITED THE VIEW OF THE SECURITY CAMERA. THE HELICOPTER RE-ENTERED THE CAMERA'S FIELD OF VIEW FROM THE WEST, FLEW PAST THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE STAGING AREA, TURNED TO A NORTHWEST HEADING AS IT APPROACHED THE LOAD TRUCK BEFORE COMPLETING A SECOND ONLOAD OF FERTILIZER. THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED THE STAGING AREA THE SECOND TIME AT 0650, FLEW OUT OF THE FIELD OF VIEW TO THE WEST, AND RETURNED INTO VIEW FROM THE WEST AT 0656. THE HELICOPTER APPROACHED THE LOAD TRUCK A THIRD TIME HEADING TO THE NORTHWEST, FLYING A SIMILAR APPROACH AS BEFORE. THE HELICOPTER APPEARED TO HOVER OVER OR NEAR THE LOAD TRUCK FOR 2-3 SECONDS AND THEN TURN AND FLY AWAY IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION. THE HELICOPTER REAPPROACHED THE LOAD TRUCK AND APPEARED TO COMPLETE A THIRD ONLOAD OF FERTILIZER. THE HELICOPTER THEN DEPARTED AND CLIMBED TO THE WEST. THE HELICOPTER APPEARED TO ACCELERATE AND CLIMB OUT NORMALLY TO ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE THE GROUND. ABOUT 20 SECONDS AFTER DEPARTING THE LOAD TRUCK THE HELICOPTER ROTATED ABOUT 180° TO THE LEFT AND DESCENDED RAPIDLY IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE UNTIL IT WENT OUT OF VIEW BEHIND TERRAIN. THERE ARE NO KNOWN WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE.
THE HELICOPTER WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE AND SENT TO ANOTHER FACILITY FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.