Summary
On March 29, 2019, a Bell 206 (N83181) was involved in an accident near Valley Center, CA. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The ground crew’s attachment of the load fill hose to the helicopter without telling the pilot, which resulted in a loss of helicopter control during takeoff.
The helicopter pilot reported that, during the reloading operation for an agricultural spray flight, while boarding the helicopter positioned on top of the truck's platform, he saw that the load fill hose was not connected to the helicopter. However, prior to starting the helicopter, and unknown to the pilot, the groundcrew connected the hose. During takeoff, the helicopter rotated about 180º to the right, the helicopter's right skid struck the hood of the truck, the helicopter rolled to the right and impacted the terrain.
The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
This accident is documented in NTSB report GAA19CA186. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N83181.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The ground crew’s attachment of the load fill hose to the helicopter without telling the pilot, which resulted in a loss of helicopter control during takeoff.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The helicopter pilot reported that, during the reloading operation for an agricultural spray flight, while boarding the helicopter positioned on top of the truck's platform, he saw that the load fill hose was not connected to the helicopter. However, prior to starting the helicopter, and unknown to the pilot, the groundcrew connected the hose. During takeoff, the helicopter rotated about 180º to the right, the helicopter's right skid struck the hood of the truck, the helicopter rolled to the right and impacted the terrain.
The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA19CA186