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CEN23LA280

2023-07-05 · Amity, Missouri, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N828WP

Make / Model
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON 206L-1
Year of manufacture
1979 · 44 years old at event
Engine
ROLLS-ROYC 250-C30P (650 hp)
Seats / Engines
7 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20130404
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AB5095

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to see and avoid wires while conducting a low-level aerial application flight.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during an aerial application flight, the helicopter impacted wires that he failed to see, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and rotor blades. He stated that a road that paralleled the field dipped down, which made the wires appear below the horizon. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Wire-Awareness of condition
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_CEN23LA280.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.