Bell 206B N499BH

Summary

On 13 October 2010 at about 13:00 local time, a Bell 206B registered N499BH, operated by Heartland Helicopter Leasing Inc, was involved in an accident near Newton, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 October 2010 at 13:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Newton, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.8507, -93.7492

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N499BH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Heartland Helicopter Leasing Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Newton → Newton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN11LA023

Injuries not recorded.

The pilot’s attempted takeoff with the fuel hose attached to the helicopter and the pilot and ground crew’s failure to accurately communicate.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot landed the agricultural helicopter on a truck and remained inside the cockpit while a ground crew added chemical and fuel. After mistakenly believing that a ground crew member had signaled that it was safe to depart, the pilot lifted the helicopter off the truck only to realize that the fuel hose was still attached. The helicopter rolled to the right and off the truck. A main rotor blade impacted the ground and one of the ground crew members. The helicopter came to rest on its right side and the pilot was able to exit unassisted. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact malfunctions or failure with the helicopter’s flight controls or engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.