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20250701021329A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Ridgely, MO · July 1, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 1, 2025 · 08:45 local
Place
Ridgely, MO
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
377G
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N16726
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN25LA232
Reported as
Bell 206B
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce M250 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,635 total17 in the last 90 days
N16726Registered now · Bell 206BS/N 2122 · Built 1976Airframe modelBell 206BEngine modelRolls-Royce M250 seriesTurbo-shaft

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On July 1, 2025, pilot pushed aircraft out of hangar and performed preflight. Pilot was not able to perform sump due to spray tank installation. To the knowledge of the pilot, the aircraft had not been flown for approximately 30 days. Upon start up there were no issues. Aircraft was operated on ground at idle for 7 minutes while aquiring GPS signal. Pilot increased to flight idle for 2 to 3 minutes and GPS signal was aquired. Engine and transmission oil temperature and pressures were in normal operating range. Pilo t noted approximately 2 hours of fuel onboard for a 45 minute flight. 3/4 of a mile after departure, pilot heard an engine surge. Pilot checked rpmr was dropping. Pilot pulled back on the cyclic and lowered collective to see if he could regain rpmr. Aircraft was between 150-200 AGL at 50 KTS then heard distinct sound of engine shut down. Pilot heard a loud bang and the aircraft rocked vilolently the nose turned from facing south to facing east and landed on skids staying upright. Pilot rolled throttle off, shut off fuel switch, shut off all overhead switches and pulled boost pump breakers. Pilot noticed damage to main rotor blades but were still spinning.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 1, 2025, PILOT PUSHED AIRCRAFT OUT OF HANGAR AND PERFORMED PREFLIGHT. PILOT WAS NOT ABLE TO PERFORM SUMP DUE TO SPRAY TANK INSTALLATION. TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT BEEN FLOWN FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS. UPON START UP THERE WERE NO ISSUES. AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED ON GROUND AT IDLE FOR 7 MINUTES WHILE AQUIRING GPS SIGNAL. PILOT INCREASED TO FLIGHT IDLE FOR 2 TO 3 MINUTES AND GPS SIGNAL WAS AQUIRED. ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION OIL TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURES WERE IN NORMAL OPERATING RANGE. PILO T NOTED APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS OF FUEL ONBOARD FOR A 45 MINUTE FLIGHT. 3/4 OF A MILE AFTER DEPARTURE, PILOT HEARD AN ENGINE SURGE. PILOT CHECKED RPMR WAS DROPPING. PILOT PULLED BACK ON THE CYCLIC AND LOWERED COLLECTIVE TO SEE IF HE COULD REGAIN RPMR. AIRCRAFT WAS BETWEEN 150-200 AGL AT 50 KTS THEN HEARD DISTINCT SOUND OF ENGINE SHUT DOWN. PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE AIRCRAFT ROCKED VILOLENTLY THE NOSE TURNED FROM FACING SOUTH TO FACING EAST AND LANDED ON SKIDS STAYING UPRIGHT. PILOT ROLLED THROTTLE OFF, SHUT OFF FUEL SWITCH, SHUT OFF ALL OVERHEAD SWITCHES AND PULLED BOOST PUMP BREAKERS. PILOT NOTICED DAMAGE TO MAIN ROTOR BLADES BUT WERE STILL SPINNING.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN25LA232Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary reportEdgerton, MOOn July 1, 2025, at 0845 central daylight time, a Bell 206B, N17626, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Edgerton, Missouri. The commercial pilot was uninjured. The helicopter was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal…Jul 1, 2025 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N16726 · 1

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

Accident 19960206010299ASettle With Power (Rotorcraft) · Barstow, CAPhoto flight low and slow. Entered descending with power and impacted ground nose low. Too low slow and light wind.Feb 6, 1996 · Substantial damage