N16726

On July 1, 2025, at 0845 central daylight time, a Bell 206B, N17626, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Edgerton, Missouri. The commercial pilot was uninjured. The helicopter was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations as a Part 137 aerial application flight.

The pilot stated that during a departure climb, he heard the engine surge and saw the main rotor speed decrease. He said that he pulled back on the cyclic to slow down and lowered the collective slightly to see if he could regain rotor speed, while the helicopter was about 150-200 feet agl and the airspeed was about 45-50 kts. He then heard the engine shut down. He immediately lowered the collective and turned the aircraft slightly to the south to attempt a landing to a grass pasture. During the landing, the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom, a tail rotor blade, and the main rotor blades.

The helicopter was retained for further examination.