Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 505 accident near Ririe, ID
On February 20, 2025, a Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 505 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Ririe, ID. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 20, 2025
- Place
- Ririe, ID
- Aircraft
- Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 505 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 43.572°N, 111.736°W
- NTSB ID
- 20250221199728
Official records · WPR25FA100
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On February 20, 2025, about 1640 mountain standard time, a Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 505, N118LG, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Ririe, Idaho. The pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger was seriously injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the passenger, he and the pilot departed Rexburg-Madison County Airport (RXE), Rexburg, Idaho, and intended to overfly the Ririe Reservoir area to video a large herd of elk. The passenger was seated in a rear seat and secured by a harness, while the pilot occupied the front right seat. The passenger stated that neither he nor the pilot saw the power distribution lines (power lines) that spanned across the frozen lake until the helicopter was immediately in front of the power lines. The pilot attempted to “dive underneath” the power lines, however, the main rotor blades struck the power lines, and the helicopter subsequently impacted the frozen reservoir. The passenger stated that he exited unassisted, and that the engine was still running after the accident before it shut down on its own. A witness, who was located near the reservoir reported that he was watching two helicopters, a white one and a black one. He saw the black one travelling from the area near the dam [north to south]. He lost sight of the black helicopter then heard a “twang sound and a bang.” He drove his snowmobile to where he could see the black helicopter on the frozen reservoir. Examination of the accident site revealed that the helicopter came t
More accidents in ID
- Boeing 737, Jan 9, 2021
- Cessna TU206, Jul 5, 2020
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-36, Jan 15, 1996
- Cessna T303, Mar 3, 1998
- Cessna TU-206-G, Jul 3, 1988
Browse: Idaho
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
