What happened
On 6 March 2026 at 0915 local time, a Bell 206L-3 was being used for dispensing operations (agricultural spraying) at a location 40 km north-west of Orange Airport, New South Wales, with only a pilot on board.
The spraying was being conducted in proximity to unmarked powerlines orientated east‑west and north-east (Figure 1). The area to be sprayed was to the east of a designated ‘pull out line’ that acted as a planned limit of operations. The pilot had identified the location of both the powerlines prior to commencing operations.
Figure 1: Area of operation
Green dotted lines mark the exclusion zone, as defined by the infrastructure owner. Source: Earthstar Geographics, annotated by the ATSB
The pilot reported that during dispensing, they deviated from the planned spray path to conduct an unplanned task: to spray some nearby blackberries they had identified.
Once this unplanned task was completed the pilot commenced a turn and the helicopter made contact with the north-east powerline, which had 3 wires.
The wire cutting kit fitted to the helicopter successfully cut 2 of the 3 wires. However, the third wire struck the main rotor and tail boom. The helicopter descended with some controllability until approximately 5 m above the ground, at which point controllability became difficult. The pilot reported their focus was on keeping the helicopter level and ensuring it did not roll over. The pilot was unable to reach a suitable emergency landing area and conducted a partially controlled ditching into a nearby dam.
Once the helicopter came to rest in the dam it began to roll towards an inverted position. The pilot exited the aircraft as it was rolling and swam to the edge of the dam.
The pilot’s helmet was struck during the accident, and the pilot was not injured. The helicopter sustained substantial damage (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Damage to helicopter, shown after recovery from the water
Source: Helicopter operator, annotated by the ATSB
Safety message
Pilots and operators need to be aware that when a plan is changed new risks can be introduced. This is especially critical for low level operations where previously identified hazards may be subsequently overlooked.
Aerial powerlines pose an ongoing threat to flying operations. In Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, the Look up and live website or app can be used by pilots to plan flying operations in proximity of overhead powerlines.
Electrical power and telecommunications companies in Australia can mark powerlines that are identified as a hazard for low-level flying operations. The ATSB has released an educational booklet, Wirestrikes involving known wires: A manageable aerial agriculture hazard (AR-2011-028AR-2011-028). This booklet contains several examples of wirestrike accidents and lessons learned from them.
About this report
Decisions regarding whether to conduct an investigation, and the scope of an investigation, are based on many factors, including the level of safety benefit likely to be obtained from an investigation. For this occurrence, no investigation has been conducted and the ATSB did not verify the accuracy of the information. A brief description has been written using information supplied in the notification and any follow-up information in order to produce a short summary report, and allow for greater industry awareness of potential safety issues and possible safety actions.