N291SH – BELL 206B – 2014-07-19 NTSB Accident Report

On July 19, 2014, a Bell 206B (N291SH) was involved in an incident near Salinas, CA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to ensure adequate clearance from ground obstacles during takeoff which resulted in loss of aircraft control.

The pilot reported that he had landed in a field that had irrigation sprinkler pipes arranged in field rows. During takeoff and forward movement to reposition the helicopter, the right side spray boom caught on one of the sprinkler head risers which resulted in a dynamic rollover of the helicopter to the right. The helicopter came to rest on its right side and sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and damage to the main rotor blades. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter.

This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR14CA319. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N291SH.