N51698

On October 18, 2007, a Bell 206B-III (N51698) was involved in an accident near Medora, ND. The accident resulted in 2 minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot failed to maintain clearance from the fence while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resuled in the helicopter rolling over and impacting the terrain. A factor associated with the accident was the fence.

The helicopter impacted the terrain after a skid caught the top of a wire fence. The helicopter was being used for a herding mission when the left skid caught the top wire of a ten foot high fence. The helicopter began a dynamic roll to the left and impacted the ground. The pilot reported trying to counteract the roll by "reducing the power and adjusting the cyclic but was unsuccessful." The main rotor blades were destroyed, the main rotor system separated from the mast, the main transmisison deck ripped from the fuselage and the tailboom separated from the fuselage. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries.

This accident is documented in NTSB report CHI08CA021. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N51698.