Bell 206B accident near Whiteside, TN
On August 23, 2022, a Bell 206B (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Whiteside, TN. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 23, 2022
- Place
- Whiteside, TN
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.998°N, 85.510°W
- NTSB ID
- 20220823105787
Official records · ERA22FA383
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 23, 2022, about 1447 central standard time, a Bell 206B helicopter, N770HP, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Whiteside, Tennessee. The pilot and the passenger/observer were fatally injured. The flight was conducted as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 public aircraft operation. The helicopter was operated by the Tennessee Department of Safety. The pilot, who was an officer with the Tennessee Department of Safety, and the passenger/observer, who was a detective with the Marion County (TN) Sheriff’s Department, struck a marked, 1-inch diameter, energized (161K volt) aluminum high-tension powerline cable while en route to rejoin a marijuana eradication mission. The high-tension powerlines were about 430 ft tall and about 3,800 ft long. According to the Tennessee Department of Safety, the pilot and the passenger/observer had been conducting a joint-agency marijuana eradication mission that day and stopped for lunch and fuel at the Marion County Airport (APT) in Jasper, Tennessee, at 1248. The pilot purchased 48 gallons of Jet A at 1251. After lunch, a call came in requesting back up for a pursuit that the Tennessee Department of Safety was engaged in. The pilot felt the pursuit would be over before they arrived to assist. Then a call came in about a missing person case that the passenger/observer was working and was not associated with the eradication mission. The pilot and passenger/observer departed at 1401 and flew to a set of coordinates (a hotel) of where the missing person was believed to be. The m
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the powerlines.
More accidents in TN
- Cessna 501, May 29, 2021
- Cessna 421B, Dec 2, 2004
- Piper PA32RT, Mar 5, 2024
- Bell 206, Apr 4, 2016
- Beech A36, Sep 1, 2007
Browse: Tennessee · Bell aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
