What happened
On July 23, 2025, at approximately 06:30 central daylight time, a Bell 206L-1 helicopter, registration N2611, was destroyed during an accident near Thibodaux, Louisiana. The aircraft was being operated by Joe Brigham Inc. as part of a Part 137 agricultural application flight. The pilot was performing the first flight of the day, applying pesticide to a sugar cane field where the crop height was approximately 6 to 8 feet.
The accident occurred near a set of powerlines located roughly 180 feet from the north edge of the field. These lines included three transmission lines and two static lines, with the static lines positioned about 85 feet above ground level. During the accident sequence, the south static line was broken.
The wreckage was distributed across the site. The fuselage came to rest on its left side, approximately 60 feet north of the south static line. The right landing skid separated from the aircraft and was found about 70 feet south of the static line; the skid showed repetitive abrasion marks consistent with contact with a powerline, and the fracture surface indicated an overstress failure. The engine and main rotor transmission remained attached to the airframe, though the main rotor mast fractured at the transmission housing due to overstress. The tailboom separated from the aft fuselage and fragmented into multiple pieces located up to 150 feet from the main wreckage. The pilot sustained 1 fatal injury.