Bell 206B N16EP

Summary

On 27 April 2012 at about 12:45 local time, a Bell 206B registered N16EP, operated by AG Air LLC, was involved in an accident near Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 April 2012 at 12:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.2047, -76.5694

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N16EP

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

AG Air LLC

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

York → York

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12CA304

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's diverted attention while performing aerial application at low altitude, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to adjust the control friction to the position he was accustomed.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that before the accident flight, there was a trainee pilot in the agricultural application helicopter who preferred no friction on the controls. Once the trainee pilot left, the accident pilot forgot to adjust the control friction. During the accident flight, the helicopter was spraying a wheat field at 55 mph and about 10 feet above the ground. The pilot let go of the collective to adjust the helicopter's computer. The collective subsequently lowered and the helicopter impacted terrain, coming to rest on its side, with the tail boom separated. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.