- Date
- June 22, 2026, 18:40 local (23:40 UTC)
- Place
- Troy, MO · FAA photo of instrument panel - 20260623_140828292_iOS.jpg
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N65520Bell 47G-2
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class
- Class 3
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - St. Louis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260622010129A
- Case key
- 203244
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Preliminary report
What NTSB knew early in the investigation. It may change in the final report.
On June 22, 2026, about 1840 central daylight time, a Bell 47G-2 helicopter, N65520, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Troy, Missouri. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to practice hovering and traffic patterns at Troy Airpark (02MO), Troy, Missouri. After completing several traffic patterns to runway 26, he switched directions to depart on runway 8. The pilot stated that during the climb after translational lift, 50 to 75 ft above ground level, the helicopter began an uncommanded left roll. The pilot was unable to stop the left roll with a right cyclic input. The helicopter continued to roll left as it descended into trees. The helicopter came to rest on its right side. A couple of individuals immediately responded to the accident site to assist the pilot from the helicopter. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tailboom, and tail rotor driveshaft.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65520
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2012
- Built
- 1957
- Airframe hours
- 8,531.6
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 2026
- Departed
- 02MO · Troy, MO
- Destination
- 02MO · Troy, MO
- Airport
- 02MO · Troy Airpark, runway 8, 2,100 × 25 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- None
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.
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KFYG, 28 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KFYG 222335Z AUTO 00000KT 7SM OVC038 21/18 A3007 RMK AO2
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N65520 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.