- Date
- July 30, 2023, 08:18 local (13:18 UTC)
- Place
- Denison, IA · 15NNE of Denison
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N231RLBell 206B
- 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
- FAA report
- 20230730013369A
- Case key
- 192774
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 inflight distraction, which resulted in his failure to see and avoid wires.
Findings · 2
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 to his wife that while conducting an aerial application flight, he became distracted in the cockpit and failed to see and avoid wires that were spanning the field. The helicopter subsequently impacted the wires and then terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot was hospitalized but succumbed to his injuries 18 days after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N231RL
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1324
- Built
- 1974
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C20B, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Nor Wes Inc
- Registered owner
- Nor Wes Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 79
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Waiver time limited special
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KDNS, 4 nm away
- METAR
- KDNS 301315Z AUTO 08005KT 10SM CLR 20/20 A3019 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 31, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB 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.