- Date
- July 16, 2018, 09:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- New Castle, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N39LRBell 206
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 5, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180716011349A
- Case key
- 97799
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 failure to ensure that the fill hose was disconnected from the helicopter before takeoff, which resulted in the fill hose striking the tail rotor and the subsequent loss of tail rotor effectiveness. Contributing to the accident was inadequate communication between the ground crewman and the pilot.
Findings · 3
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
According to the helicopter pilot, during an agricultural flight, he landed on the tender truck platform. The ground crewman connected a hose to fill the hopper, but he did not provide positive communication to the pilot regarding task completion. Consequently, "due to crew miscommunication," the pilot took off with the hose still connected to the helicopter. The tail rotor struck the hose, and the pilot lost tail rotor effectiveness. The helicopter entered an uncontrollable right spin, and the pilot lowered the collective. The helicopter descended, struck the ground, and then rolled over. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom, tail rotor system, main rotor system, and the skids. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by implementing a documented operating procedure to ensure positive communication between the ground crew and pilot. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the helicopter pilot, during an agricultural flight he landed on the tender truck platform. The ground crewman connected a hose to fill the hopper, but he did not provide positive communication to the pilot regarding task completion. Consequently, "due to crew miscommunication" the pilot took off with the hose still connected to the helicopter. The tail rotor struck the hose and the pilot lost tail rotor authority. The helicopter entered an uncontrollable spin to the right, and the pilot lowered the collective. The helicopter descended and struck the ground, and then it rolled over. Additionally, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by implementing a documented operating procedure to ensure positive communication between the ground crew and pilot. The helicopter sustained substantial damage the tailboom, tail rotor system, main rotor system and the skids. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N39LR
- Reported as
- Bell 206 (L1)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45654
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 8,318
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 259-C30P, 600 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Blackstar LLC
- Registered owner
- Hornet LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2018
- Departed
- New Castle, IN
- Destination
- New Castle, IN
- Equipment
- None
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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 19, 2018
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 20,882 total · 810 in this make and model · 20,701 as pilot in command · 67 in the last 90 days · 67 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- KGEZ, 26 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 22, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.