Accident Overview
On May 10, 2013, at approximately 1842 central daylight time, a Bell 206B helicopter, registration N94PH, registered to and operated by Provine Helicopter Service, Inc., collided with a powerline and subsequently the ground during an aerial application flight near Hartford, Kentucky. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 flight. The helicopter sustained substantial damage, and the commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight had originated about five minutes earlier from a location immediately adjacent to the accident site.
Pilot Account
The pilot reported that he took the final load of chemical to complete the current tract or field. He circled over the field three times to identify lines, obstructions, houses, and people, and to develop a spray plan. After completing two spray passes, during the third pass, he heard a “pop” sound and saw the lines as they contacted the windscreen. The helicopter remained controllable for a “brief moment” but 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 stated there was no preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction with the helicopter or its systems.
Company Procedures
The company’s Policy and Procedures Manual in effect at the time of the accident specified major duties and responsibilities of the pilot, including that a pre-work conference be conducted before application to each tract being sprayed. The pre-work conference required the tract representative, turn key, ground crew, and pilot to agree on and understand weather conditions, tract locations and boundaries, products being applied and their rates, landing zones, adjacent landowners, and potential problem areas or miscommunication. However, the manual did not explicitly require identification of potential flight hazards during the pre-work conference. Postaccident, the operator revised the Policy and Procedures Manual to specify that all involved personnel identify flight hazards during the pre-work conference.