Sikorsky S-58 accident near Buhl, Idaho, May 25, 2000
On May 25, 2000 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Sikorsky S-58 (helicopter), registered N2253A, was destroyed in an accident near Buhl, Idaho. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout, and his failure to maintain adequate clearance from the power lines. The pilot's diverted attention, a dirty windshield, power lines, and light rain were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 25, 2000 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Buhl, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S-58 · all S-58s on the register
- Registration
- N2253A · no longer on the register · serial 148809
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while en route to a field for the aerial application, he was distracted by a radio call from another pilot. The pilot looked down at a map to verify a field location, and when he looked back up, he did not see the power lines that he knew were along his flight path and had flown over on previous flights. After colliding with those power lines, the helicopter pitched nearly straight up, leveled slightly, then fell to the ground in a tail low attitude. A post-crash fire consumed the helicopter. The pilot reported that there were water drops on the windshield, which was dirty, and the sky was overcast, reducing his visibility substantially.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,970 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 7,775 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,582 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 2000; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 14,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Curtis Wright 1820-84D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Buhl ID at 2:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from TWF, 22 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA00LA092.