Bell 206B N94PH

Summary

On 10 May 2013 at about 23:42 local time, a Bell 206B registered N94PH, operated by Provine Helicopter Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Hartford, Kentucky, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 May 2013 at 23:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Hartford, Kentucky, United States

Coordinates

37.5039, -87.0003

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N94PH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Provine Helicopter Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hartford → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA13LA236

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to avoid a powerline that crossed a field that he was spraying. Contributing to the collision was the company’s failure to specifically mention that flight hazards be identified during a pre-work conference.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before spraying a tract, the pilot circled it three times to look for lines, obstructions, houses, and people and to develop a plan to spray the field. He completed two spray passes, and during the third spray pass, he heard a “pop” sound and saw “the lines” as they contacted the windscreen. The helicopter was controllable for a “brief moment,” but it then yawed slowly to the right and slightly down at which point all control was lost. The helicopter continued to rotate clockwise and veered to the right, then impacted the ground on the left side. The pilot reported that there was no preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction with the helicopter or its systems, and that during his three orbits of the tract, he did not identify the power line that he subsequently contacted. While the company policy and procedures manual specified that the pilot identify potential problem areas or miscommunications, it did not specify that flight hazards be identified during the pre-work conference. Postaccident, the operator changed its policy and procedures manual and specifically stated that flight hazards be identified during the pre-work conference before spraying a tract.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.