# Accident 20260716007599A: Bell 206B, St Joseph, IL, July 16, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 16, 2026, 19:30 local time
- Place: St Joseph, IL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: 1HVG
- Location: 40.1278° N, 88.0784° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.1278&lon=-88.0784&mi=10
- Aircraft: N297CA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N297CA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206B (registry code 1181511, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20B (registry code 54385, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c20b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL 206B
- Reported engine: ROLLS-ROYC 250-C20B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 4,760 total, 1,105 in this make and model, 112 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN26LA264](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA264) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260716007599A

## Narrative

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

ON JULY 16, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1915 LOCAL TIME, A BELL 206 HELICOPTER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHILE CONDUCTING 14 CFR PART 137 AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING OPERATIONS IN A FIELD IN ST. JOSEPH, ILLINOIS. DURING A SPRAYING PASS, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TOP STATIC WIRE OF AN ACTIVE POWER LINE ASSET. THE WIRE BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM, CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO EXPERIENCE AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF CONTROL AND A VERTICAL DESCENT TO THE GROUND.THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED DURING THE IMPACT SEQUENCE. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ADJACENT TO A LOCAL ROADWAY, CREATING A PARTIAL OBSTRUCTION TO VEHICLE TRAFFIC. ALL ASSOCIATED WRECKAGE AND IMPACT DEBRIS WERE CONTAINED WITHIN A 15-FOOT RADIUS OF THE MAIN FUSELAGE.IN A POST-ACCIDENT STATEMENT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT SOLAR GLARE WAS AN ACTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR THAT IMPAIRED THEIR ABILITY TO VISUALLY DETERMINE THE EXACT CLEARANCE DISTANCE TO THE UTILITY WIRES. THE PILOT NOTED THEY HAD SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED SEVERAL SPRAYING PASSES PRIOR TO THE WIRE STRIKE. AN EYEWITNESS REPORTED OBSERVING THE HELICOPTER PITCH UP AND INITIATE A LEFT TURN IMMEDIATELY BEFORE CONTACTING THE POWER LINES AND DESCENDING VERTICALLY TO THE GROUND. THE WITNESS NOTED SEEING INITIAL SPARKS UPON WIRE CONTACT, BUT NO FURTHER SPARKING WAS OBSERVED.FOLLOWING THE IMPACT, THE DOWNED UTILITY LINES REMAINED ACROSS THE SITE. BECAUSE THE ELECTRICAL STATUS OF THE WIRES COULD NOT BE VERIFIED BY FIRST RESPONDERS, EMERGENCY PERSONNEL COULD NOT SAFELY APPROACH THE COCKPIT. FIRST RESPONDERS REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM UTILITY PROVIDER AMEREN TO ISOLATE AND SECURE THE GRID ASSET. AMEREN PERSONNEL SUCCESSFULLY DE-ENERGIZED THE POWER LINES APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES TO ONE HOUR POST-ACCIDENT, ENABLING EMERGENCY CREWS TO SAFELY EXTRICATE THE OCCUPANT FROM THE ROADWAY SITE. THE PILOT SURVIVED THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE AND WAS TRANSPORTED BY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT.

## 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 CEN26LA264](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA264), Jul 17, 2026: Bell 206B (N297CA), Saint Joseph, IL, substantial damage, investigation ongoing

## Other reports on N297CA (1)

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

- [Accident 20130523011509A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130523011509A), May 23, 2013: Bell 206B (N297CA), Chesterfield, MO, Substantial damage. On may 23, 2013 at approximately 2100 hrs. The flight instructor was acting as the pilot in command of helicopter N297CA, a Bell helicopter BHT-206B, s/n 1453.…

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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