On July 30, 2003, a Bell 47G-2A (registration N7796C) operated by East Coast Helicopter Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Jackson, NJ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and failure to remove a pesticide spraying hose from the helicopter prior to takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A helicopter performing aerial application flights impacted the ground during takeoff after the pilot, who stated he was 'in a hurry,' failed to confirm a chemical loading hose was disconnected.
Accident Details
A helicopter involved in aerial application operations experienced an accident during a takeoff attempt. The pilot had completed two previous flights over an amusement park and had landed to reload chemicals for a third flight.
Pilot Actions
According to the pilot, he was "in a hurry" and did not verify that the right-side chemical loading hose was disconnected from the helicopter before beginning the third takeoff. As the helicopter lifted off, the still-attached hose exerted a downward pull on the aircraft, causing it to descend and impact the ground.
Conclusion
The accident resulted from the pilot's failure to confirm disconnection of the loading hose prior to takeoff. No other contributing factors were noted in the report.