- Date
- September 9, 2008, 09:10 local (14:10 UTC)
- Place
- Eutaw, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N206WABell 206B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080909849209A
- Case key
- 68900
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.
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 pilot landed the Bell 206B helicopter and was preparing for the ninth aerial agricultural application flight of the day. Ground personnel added fuel and chemical to the helicopter in preparation for the flight. The normal process for refueling was for one person to be in the fuel truck and one person on the ground near the helicopter. When the fuel tank was full, the person at the helicopter gives a "thumbs up" to the person in the truck, who turns off the valve. After disconnecting the hose from the helicopter, the person at the helicopter gives another "thumbs up" to the pilot, and the pilot should then verify the hose has been disconnected from the helicopter. When the helicopter requires the loading of both chemical and fuel, the number of hand signals doubles. During the accident sequence, the pilot saw the ground person give a "thumbs up" and turn away from the helicopter. He assumed the hose had been disconnected, but did not visually verify that it had. As he lifted the helicopter to a hover, it pitched down, rolled to the right, and contacted the ground, substantially damaging the fuselage and tail boom. The person on the ground reported he "mistakenly gave the all clear signal" before the hose was disconnected.
Factual narrative
The pilot landed the Bell 206B helicopter, and was preparing for the ninth aerial agricultural application flight of the day. Ground personnel added fuel and chemical to the helicopter, in preparation for the flight. The normal process for refueling was for one person to be in the fuel truck and one person on the ground near the helicopter. When the fuel tank was full, the person at the helicopter gives a "thumbs up" to the person in the truck, who turns off the valve. After disconnecting the hose from the helicopter, the person at the helicopter gives another "thumbs up" to the pilot, and the pilot should then verify the hose has been disconnected from the helicopter. When the helicopter requires the loading of both chemical and fuel, the number of hand signals doubles. During the accident sequence, the pilot saw the ground person give a "thumbs up" and turn away from the helicopter. He assumed the hose had been disconnected, but did not visually verify that it had. As he lifted the helicopter to a hover, it pitched down, rolled to the right, and contacted the ground, substantially damaging the fuselage and tail boom. The person on the ground reported he "mistakenly gave the all clear signal" before the hose was disconnected.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N206WA
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3037
- Airframe hours
- 9,464
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Chem Air Inc
- Registered owner
- Chem Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 1, 2008
- Departed
- Eutaw, AL
- Destination
- Eutaw, AL
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 21,037 total · 10,000 in this make and model · 20,737 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- BHM, 30 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 19, 2008, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 951 KB 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.