Bell 47G-5 accident near Sanborn, North Dakota, August 23, 2006
On August 23, 2006 at about 1:35 pm local time, a Bell 47G-5 (helicopter), registered N2251W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sanborn, North Dakota. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the power lines during the aerial application flight. The power lines were a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2006 · about 1:35 pm local time
- Place
- Sanborn, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 47G-5 · all 47G-5s on the register
- Registration
- N2251W · registry record · serial 7965
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter impacted power lines and the ground during an aerial application flight. The pilot reported that he was spraying ditches and his attention was diverted momentarily to the brush that he was spraying. He stated that he was complacent with regard to the wires at the roadside and that when he saw them he lowered the collective in an attempt to fly beneath the wires. He stated that the helicopter struck the power lines and then subsequently hit the ground.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,100 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 110 in the last 30 days; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2006
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison C18 250 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Sanborn ND at 1:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.