Bell 206B Helicopter Collision with Power Lines Near Eureka, Nevada (N20620)

Accident Overview and Flight History On February 18, 2013, at 1424 Pacific standard time, a Bell 206B helicopter, N20620, collided with power transmission lines near Eureka, Nevada. The helicopter was owned by El Aero Services, Inc., and was being operated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), as a public-use seed-dispersal flight. The commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the helicopter was substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The flight departed about 1420 from a temporary loading area 2 miles east of the accident site. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The helicopter was utilized for a low-level (100-200 feet above ground level) aerial reseeding project for the area damaged by the Pinto Fire, which occurred in June 2012, just east of Eureka. The land was managed by the BLM, and the services of El Aero were retained for the DOI utilizing an On Call contract. On the morning of the accident, the pilot departed in the helicopter from Ely Airport (Yelland Field), Ely, Nevada, at 0700. He proceeded 40 miles south-southwest to a helispot south of Lund, at the base of Ninemile Mountain. Over the course of the next 2 hours he performed about 10 separate seed application runs utilizing a seeder attached to the bottom of the helicopter, returning to the helispot to reload each time. At 0947, he departed for a second helispot 70 miles northwest in the Pinto Creek Ranch area, along the eastern foothills of the Diamond Mountains range. From there he flew a reconnaissance mission along the intended drop zone with the BLM Helicopter Manager. The manager stated that during the flight he made the pilot aware of two separate sets of power transmission lines in and around the seeding area. The pilot had experience flying in that area before, and informed the manager that there was in fact a third set of power lines in the seeding area. The pilot then performed multiple uneventful seed-dispersal runs throughout the morning. The operation continued after lunch, however, after departing for the last drop of the day, he did not return. A search was initiated, and at 1500 the helicopter wreckage was located.