Summary
On October 13, 2010, a Bell 206B (N499BH) was involved in an accident near Newton, TX. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot’s attempted takeoff with the fuel hose attached to the helicopter and the pilot and ground crew’s failure to accurately communicate.
On October 13, 2010, about 0800 central daylight time, a single-engine Bell 206B helicopter, N499BH, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during takeoff near Newton, Texas. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; however, a ground crew member sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Heartland Helicopters Leasing Inc., of Fort Worth, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. According to the pilot, he had landed on a loader truck and remained in the agricultural helicopter while a ground crew added chemical and fuel.
This accident is documented in NTSB report CEN11LA023. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N499BH.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s attempted takeoff with the fuel hose attached to the helicopter and the pilot and ground crew’s failure to accurately communicate.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On October 13, 2010, about 0800 central daylight time, a single-engine Bell 206B helicopter, N499BH, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during takeoff near Newton, Texas. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; however, a ground crew member sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Heartland Helicopters Leasing Inc., of Fort Worth, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight.
According to the pilot, he had landed on a loader truck and remained in the agricultural helicopter while a ground crew added chemical and fuel. After mistakenly thinking that a ground crew member had signaled that it was safe to depart, the pilot lifted the helicopter off the truck only to find that the fuel hose was still attached. The helicopter rolled over to the right and the main rotor blade impacted the ground and one of the ground crew members. The helicopter came to rest on its right side and the pilot was able to exit unassisted. The ground crew member was airlifted to a hospital. The pilot later reported that there were no malfunctions or failure with the helicopter’s flight controls or engine.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN11LA023