Bell 206L-3 accident near Missoula, Montana, June 28, 2013
On June 28, 2013 at about 7:08 pm local time, a 1989 Bell 206L-3 (helicopter), registered N868H, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Missoula, Montana. It was an external-load flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to prevent the helicopter from settling with power and to maintain proper position relative to an external load, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 2013 · about 7:08 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Missoula, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L-3, built 1989 · all 206L-3s on the register
- Registration
- N868H · registry record · serial 51318
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while making a shallow approach to the water to fill a water bucket in preparation for his fourth water drop, he was looking down at the bucket, and, just as the bucket went into the water, the helicopter began "settling [with power]." The pilot corrected the condition by moving the cyclic right and forward and descending the helicopter, which placed it "back in good air" and then moved the helicopter forward. With the bucket in the water, the pilot pulled the cyclic aft as the line became tight. However, the helicopter's nose dropped very low instead of rising as expected, and the main rotor struck the tail. The helicopter subsequently started spinning right likely because the main rotor strike had severed the tail rotor drive shaft, and, after two or three turns, the pilot realized that he could not control the helicopter, so he rolled off the throttle, which stopped the spin. The helicopter then descended and contacted the water hard. The pilot determined that he had not taken into account that the river had moved the bucket downstream, and, as a result, the bucket was behind (not directly below) the helicopter, which caused the helicopter's nose to pitch down when the line became tight. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation, and he stated that the wind was calm at the time of the accident.
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
- Settling with power/vortex ring state during maneuvering (hover) defining event
- External load event (Rotorcraft) during maneuvering (hover)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (hover)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,306 hours in all; 12,389 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 16,206 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 21, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,424 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 10, 2012; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,250 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce (Allison) 250-C30P (turboshaft); 6,397 hours total
- Operator: Hillcrest Aircraft Company Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: MSO Missoula MT at 6:00 pm
- Destination: MSO Missoula MT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from MSO, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 19, 2014. 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-incident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation – George Reel | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N868H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N868H on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Bell 206 JetRanger and LongRanger 1,453 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Bell 3,080 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rolls Royce (Allison) 250-C30P 151 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Missoula Montana Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Montana 1,121 since 1982 · 166 in the last ten years
- Montana 6,044 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N868H 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR13LA303.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.