# Accident 20260115000099A: Bell 206L-3, Logsden, OR, January 15, 2026 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 15, 2026, 08:37 local time - Place: Logsden, OR - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Operator: GJQG - Location: 44.0000° N, 123.0000° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.0000&lon=-123.0000&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 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 15,336 total, 134 in this make and model, 39 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR26LA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA086) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260115000099A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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 PILOT PICKED UP TO A HOVER, AND AS IS STANDARD PRACTICE, OBSERVED THE CHIN-BUBBLE MOUNTED MIRROR THROUGH HIS CHIN BUBBLE TO ENSURE THAT THE EXTERNAL-LOAD LINES APPEARED NORMAL E.G. NOT TWISTED OR CAUGHT ON ANYTHING. THIS WAS PRIOR TO LIFTING THE LOAD SO THERE WAS NO TENSION ON THE LINES. THE HOPPER WAS IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. JUST BEYOND THE HOPPER WAS A FRONT-END LOADER/TRACTOR. AFTER CONFIRMING THE LINES APPEARED APPROPRIATELY ORIENTED, THE PILOT EXECUTED A STEADY PROGRESSIVE TAKE-OFF; IT IS NOT ALWAYS A PRACTICE, PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, TO CHECK THE HANDLING OR CG OF THE AIRCRAFT UPON THE LOAD BECOMING TIGHT AND OFF THE GROUND. WITH THE PROGRESSIVE TAKE-OFF, THE PILOT SENSING THAT THE LOAD WAS OFF THE GROUND, HE EXECUTED AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN OUT TO AVOID THE FRONT-END LOADER. INITIALLY THE AIRCRAFT HANDLED AS IT SHOULD WHILE EXECUTING THE RIGHT TURNOUT. WHEN THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO ARREST THE RIGHT TURN USING NORMAL CONTROL INPUTS, HE COULD NOT. HE STATED THAT HE THEN HAD TO REPOSITION HIS LEFT LEG TO BE ABLE TO APPLY FULL AFT AND LEFT CYCLIC IN AN ATTEMPT TO ARREST THE RIGHT TURN AND DECENT CAUSED BY A FORWARD AND RIGHT CENTER OF GRAVITY (CG). FROM THIS POINT HE WAS UNABLE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER. LOOKING AT THE CHIN-BUBBLE MIRROR AGAIN, HE DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE LINES HAD CROSSED OVER THE TOE OF THE RIGHT SKID. THIS CAUSED THE OUT OF CG CONDITION TO THE RIGHT AND FORWARD. HE OPTED TO NOT JETTISON THE LOAD BECAUSE HE FELT THIS WOULD INCREASE THE OUT OF CG CONDITION BY PUTTING ALL OF THE HOPPER’S WEIGHT ON THE RIGHT SKID VERSE BEING SOMEWHAT STILL DISTRIBUTED TO THE CARGO HOOK. FROM THAT POINT THE PIC HAD LITTLE CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AND NEEDED TO GET TO IT ON THE GROUND. HE WAS OVER A LARGE FIELD AT THE TIME. HIS EFFORTS TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT RESULTED IN 360° DESCENDING TURNS. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A RIGHT TURN WITH A NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT AND INJURING THE PIC. ## 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 WPR26LA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA086), Jan 15, 2026: Bell 206L-3 (N868H), Logsden, OR, substantial damage. Probable cause: The inadvertent entanglement of a long line with the skid, which resulted in a loss of flight control. Contributing to the accident was the use of nylon lines instead of steel cables to secure the… ## Other reports on N868H (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20130628011389A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130628011389A), Jun 28, 2013: Bell 206L-3 (N868H), Missoula, MT, Substantial damage. On June 28, 2013, at 1230 MST, a Bell helicopter 206-L3, N868H, crashed while conducting a performance demonstration to the forest service. Visual… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.