- Date
- July 21, 2024, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cuba City, WI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N67110Bell 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
- 20240721017129A
- Case key
- 194734
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 maintain clearance from a wire during an agricultural application pass.
Findings · 3
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 he was conducting agricultural spray operations at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that he was distracted by ground vehicle traffic and the helicopter struck a wire. He lowered the collective, and the helicopter impacted the field. The helicopter rolled forward and came to rest on the left side of the fuselage. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system and the tail boom separated. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N67110
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 5109
- Built
- 1993
- Airframe hours
- 14,116.9
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C20J, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Mf Helicopters LLC
- Registered owner
- Mf Helicopters LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 11, 2024
- Departed
- Darlington, WI
- Destination
- Cuba City, WI
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
- 40
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 23, 2022
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,333 total · 283 in this make and model · 2,309 as pilot in command · 229 in the last 90 days · 176 in the last 30 days · 15 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KPVB, 4 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KPVB 211555Z AUTO 35003KT 10SM SCT019 SCT090 24/19 A3015 RMK AO1 T02400194=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 27, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.