- Date
- July 18, 2025, 07:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bloomington, IL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N975TRBell B206-B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: 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
- 20250718010399A
- Case key
- 200591
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 avoid power lines during an aerial application flight.
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 completing an aerial application flight in the helicopter. During a spray pass, he noticed a car on the nearby road, so he slowed the helicopter to avoid the applicant drifting onto the car. He then noticed power lines in front of him and attempted to fly underneath them but collided with the lower line. The pilot lost control of the helicopter which impacted in a field and came to rest on its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tail boom. The pilot added that he was not aware of the powerlines before the flight, even though he had sprayed this field many times before.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N975TR
- Reported as
- Bell B206-B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1235
- Built
- 1974
- Engine
- Allison 250, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Pnj Investements LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- Minier, IL
- Destination
- BMI · Bloomington, IL
- Airport
- BMI · Central Il Rgnl/Bloomington-Normal
- 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
- 54
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 12, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KBMI, 3 nm away
- METAR
- KBMI 181156Z 04007KT 10SM BKN042 OVC055 18/17 A3014 RMK AO2 SLP200 70001 T01780172 10189 20178 53009
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.