Pilot Debrief

BELL B206-B near Bloomington, IL — 2025-07-18

Final reportCEN25LA266
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Date
2025-07-18
Location
Bloomington, IL, USA
Airport
BMI
Aircraft
BELL B206-B
Registration
N975TR
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to avoid power lines during an aerial application flight.

NTSB narrative

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.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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