- Date
- August 4, 2021, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Corydon, IN
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N59552Bell 206
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210804008749A
- Case key
- 103633
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to see and avoid power lines.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while performing an aerial application flight, he did not see the power lines before descending into the field. The helicopter collided with the power lines and the pilot lost control of the helicopter. The helicopter subsequently impacted terrain and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. A visual examination did not reveal any preaccident failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59552
- Reported as
- Bell 206 (B)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1664
- Built
- 1999
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 315 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Southmark Aviation
- Registered owner
- Sycan Corp DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Destination
- Same as departure
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,600 total · 350 in this make and model · 180 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KSDF, 15 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KSDF 041956Z 03013KT 10SM FEW070 BKN090 BKN120 31/11 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP174 T03060106=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 28, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 995 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.