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20190111000179A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell 206B · Yuma, AZ · January 11, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
January 11, 2019 · 21:00 local
Place
Yuma, AZ
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
CE07
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N88HC
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR19TA061
Reported as
Bell 206B
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce 250-C20
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
3,775 total1,000 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days
N88HCRegistered now · Bell 206BS/N 1576 · Built 1975Airframe modelBell 206BEngine modelRolls-Royce 250-C20Turbo-shaft

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

privacy data omitted Was pilot in command of N88HC, a Bell 206 that was equipped and performing aerial agricultural spraying (part 137) operations. He had just completed a spraying operation at one field and had moved to the next scheduled field. It was known that the field had powerlines that crossed the field toward the south end of the field. The time was approximately 8:30 to 9:00 pm so the spraying operation was being conducted at night. The pilot decended into the southeast corner of the field to begin the recon. As the aircraft moved northward along the east side of the field, the aircraft struck the wires. The pilot stated that he had just seen the wires and had lowered the collective to begin a descent. The pilot stated that the aircraft pitched upward and then impacted the ground, destroying the aircraft. The pilot was conscious after the crash where he called his support crew on his phone and told them that he had a broken leg and ribs. The support crew called emergency services and the pilot was transported to the hospital.

As the FAA filed it

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS PILOT IN COMMAND OF N88HC, A BELL 206 THAT WAS EQUIPPED AND PERFORMING AERIAL AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING (PART 137) OPERATIONS. HE HAD JUST COMPLETED A SPRAYING OPERATION AT ONE FIELD AND HAD MOVED TO THE NEXT SCHEDULED FIELD. IT WAS KNOWN THAT THE FIELD HAD POWERLINES THAT CROSSED THE FIELD TOWARD THE SOUTH END OF THE FIELD. THE TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 8:30 TO 9:00 PM SO THE SPRAYING OPERATION WAS BEING CONDUCTED AT NIGHT. THE PILOT DECENDED INTO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE FIELD TO BEGIN THE RECON. AS THE AIRCRAFT MOVED NORTHWARD ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF THE FIELD, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE WIRES. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD JUST SEEN THE WIRES AND HAD LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE TO BEGIN A DESCENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UPWARD AND THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND, DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT WAS CONSCIOUS AFTER THE CRASH WHERE HE CALLED HIS SUPPORT CREW ON HIS PHONE AND TOLD THEM THAT HE HAD A BROKEN LEG AND RIBS. THE SUPPORT CREW CALLED EMERGENCY SERVICES AND THE PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR19TA061Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3Final reportYuma, AZThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power transmission wires while flying at low altitude in nighttime conditions.Jan 12, 2019 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N88HC · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20111103025279IClimb · Buckeye, AZAirman was operating a part 137 aerial agricultural spray application. These operations are frequently conducted on location with support crew and equipment where fuel and dispersants are loaded between passes during the execution of the mission while the…Nov 3, 2011 · Minor damage