Bell 206 accident near Uniontown, Kentucky, June 30, 2017
On June 30, 2017 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1974 Bell 206 (helicopter), registered N60KH, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Uniontown, Kentucky. 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 adequate separation from power lines, which resulted in a loss of helicopter control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2017 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Uniontown, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206 B, built 1974 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N60KH · no longer on the register · serial 1326
- 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 pilot of the helicopter reported that, while maneuvering low around power lines during an agricultural spray, he "pulled up," and the right spray boom contacted a power line. He added that the "fuselage pitched forward and the main rotor blade cut the tail boom off just aft of the horizontal stabilizer." Subsequently, the helicopter began to rapidly spin, and after one or two rotations, the pilot "closed the throttle which stopped the rotation" and "cushioned the impact." The fuselage and tailboom sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Autorotation Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 155 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 4,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 30, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,139.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 31, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison (Rolls Royce) 250-C20B (turboshaft); 16,035 hours total
- Operator: Kash Helicopter Services LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Morganfield KY at 6:55 pm
- Destination: NONE Morganfield KY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from KEHR, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 20, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.