Summary
On September 09, 2008, a Bell 206B (N206WA) was involved in an incident near Eutaw, AL. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.
The pilot landed the Bell 206B helicopter, and was preparing for the ninth aerial agricultural application flight of the day. Ground personnel added fuel and chemical to the helicopter, in preparation for the flight. The normal process for refueling was for one person to be in the fuel truck and one person on the ground near the helicopter. When the fuel tank was full, the person at the helicopter gives a "thumbs up" to the person in the truck, who turns off the valve. After disconnecting the hose from the helicopter, the person at the helicopter gives another "thumbs up" to the pilot, and the pilot should then verify the hose has been disconnected from the helicopter. When the helicopter requires the loading of both chemical and fuel, the number of hand signals doubles.
This incident is documented in NTSB report NYC08CA309. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N206WA.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot landed the Bell 206B helicopter, and was preparing for the ninth aerial agricultural application flight of the day. Ground personnel added fuel and chemical to the helicopter, in preparation for the flight. The normal process for refueling was for one person to be in the fuel truck and one person on the ground near the helicopter. When the fuel tank was full, the person at the helicopter gives a "thumbs up" to the person in the truck, who turns off the valve. After disconnecting the hose from the helicopter, the person at the helicopter gives another "thumbs up" to the pilot, and the pilot should then verify the hose has been disconnected from the helicopter. When the helicopter requires the loading of both chemical and fuel, the number of hand signals doubles. During the accident sequence, the pilot saw the ground person give a "thumbs up" and turn away from the helicopter. He assumed the hose had been disconnected, but did not visually verify that it had. As he lifted the helicopter to a hover, it pitched down, rolled to the right, and contacted the ground, substantially damaging the fuselage and tail boom. The person on the ground reported he "mistakenly gave the all clear signal" before the hose was disconnected.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC08CA309