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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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NTSB Report

January 12, 2019 · Bell 206 B · N88HC

Yuma, AZ

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
January 12, 2019
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 serious injury)
Location
Yuma, AZ
Aircraft
Bell 206 B (1975)
Tail Number
N88HC
Injuries
Serious
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
WPR19TA061

During the nighttime visual flight rules flight, with no moon illumination, the commercial pilot was surveying a field to establish visual contact with reported power transmission wires prior to conducting an aerial application. The wires spanned the field along a west/easterly heading. While on a northerly heading, the pilot flew over the field and did not provide adequate separation from the wires. Subsequently the helicopter struck the wires at an altitude of about 30 ft above ground level and impacted terrain.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power transmission wires while flying at low altitude in nighttime conditions.

Full Narrative

On January 11, 2019, about 2100 mountain standard time, a Bell 206 B helicopter, N88HC, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Yuma, Arizona. The commercial pilot was seriously injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The operator reported that the pilot had been spraying fields at night for about 2 hours. The pilot was advised of wires in a field he was about to spray, and before loading, he flew to the field to look for them. As he was flying north over the field, the helicopter collided with the east/west spanning wires that were about 30 ft above the ground. The wires wrapped around the mast, and the helicopter subsequently collided with the ground and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that he never saw the wires and that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The operator reported that this accident could possibly have been prevented if the field had been surveyed during daylight hours. According to the US Naval Observatory, on the night of the accident, sunset occurred at 1752 and civil twilight occurred at 1819 mountain standard time. The moon rose at 0302 and set at 1412.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time21:00 MST
Nearest AirportYuma International Airport (2nm SW)
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftBell 206 B
Tail NumberN88HC
Aircraft CategoryHeli
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 137
Engines1
Engine TypeTurboshaft
Engine DetailsRolls-Royce · C20B · Turboshaft · 420
Seats5

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 serious injury)
Fatal0
Serious1
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 48 · Second Class · Serious

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightNight
WindCalm
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point57 / 45 C
Altimeter30.04 inHg
Observation Time03:57
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data