- Date
- October 3, 2014, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Atlanta, AR
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4426MBell 206B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Dynamic rollover
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Little Rock FSDO
- Case key
- 90229
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection when he did not remove a tie-down strap prior to takeoff, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The helicopter had been transported to a remote area with the skid landing gear secured to the helicopter transport trailer with four heavy duty ratchet type tie-downs. After arrival at the work location the pilot and several ground crewmembers prepared the helicopter for an agricultural application flight. The pilot reported that during his walk-around inspection prior to the flight he had overlooked the right rear tie-down, and he attempted to takeoff with the tie-down still attached to the helicopter. As power was applied the helicopter immediately rolled to the right and impacted terrain. Both main rotor blades were impact separated mid-span and the transmission and skid landing gear were partially separated. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system, transmission, tail rotor, tail boom and fuselage. A postaccident examination found no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the helicopter. The characteristics displayed by the helicopter were indicative of it encountering a dynamic rollover.
Factual narrative
The helicopter had been transported to a remote area with the skid landing gear secured to the helicopter transport trailer with four heavy duty ratchet type tie-downs. After arrival at the work location the pilot and several ground crewmembers prepared the helicopter for an agricultural application flight. The pilot reported that during his walk-around inspection prior to the flight he had overlooked the right rear tie-down, and he attempted to takeoff with the tie-down still attached to the helicopter. As power was applied the helicopter immediately rolled to the right and impacted terrain. Both main rotor blades were impact separated mid-span and the transmission and skid landing gear were partially separated. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system, transmission, tail rotor, tail boom and fuselage. A postaccident examination found no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4426M
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1759
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 12,019
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20 SER, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Terre Haute Helicopter Inc, doing business as Terre Haute Helicopter Inc
- Registered owner
- Terre Haute Helicopter Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 1, 2014
- Departed
- Atlanta, AR
- Destination
- Atlanta, AR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 21, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,946 total · 1,196 in this make and model · 2,946 as pilot in command · 183 in the last 90 days · 77 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KELD, 12 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 15, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 MB in all.