- Date
- April 4, 2026, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chimney Rock, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5017GBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Dynamic rollover
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA Helena FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260404003829A
- Case key
- 202757
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 adequate clearance from the terrain while performing a low altitude circling takeoff maneuver, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
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 and pilot-rated passenger were on a personal flight practicing off airport landings. After landing in an open meadow, the pilot elected to depart using a low altitude circling maneuver. The pilot stated the purpose of the maneuver was to gain effective translational lift. During the maneuver, as the helicopter accelerated, it began to descend, and the left skid contacted the terrain, resulting in a dynamic rollover. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, , main rotor system, tail rotor system, and empennage. The pilot stated that they received training in circling takeoff maneuvers during their commercial pilot training and had previously performed similar maneuvers. The pilot reported there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5017G
- Reported as
- Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45228
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 19,586.4
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C28B, 435 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Helimontana.Com LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 10, 2026 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- MT48 · Livingston, MT
- Destination
- MT48 · Livingston, MT
- Airport
- Mountain grassy meadow
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 2, 2026
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 264 total · 50 in this make and model · 231 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 17 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- LVM, 16 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KLVM 042153Z AUTO 27017G26KT 10SM FEW065 13/M03 A3028 RMK AO2 PK WND 28028/2134 SLP253 T01281033 $
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.8 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.