Accident Details
On January 11, 2019, at approximately 2100 mountain standard time, a Bell 206 B helicopter, registration N88HC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Yuma, Arizona. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight.
Sequence of Events
The operator reported that the pilot had been spraying fields at night for about two hours. Prior to loading, the pilot was advised of wires in a field he intended to spray and flew to the field to locate them. While flying north over the field, the helicopter collided with east/west spanning wires approximately 30 feet above the ground. The wires became wrapped around the mast, and the helicopter subsequently struck the ground and came to rest inverted.
Pilot and Operator Statements
The pilot reported that he never saw the wires and that no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter precluded normal operation. According to the operator, the accident could possibly have been prevented if the field had been surveyed during daylight hours.
Environmental Conditions
According to the US Naval Observatory, on the night of the accident, sunset occurred at 1752 and civil twilight at 1819 mountain standard time. The moon rose at 0302 and set at 1412.
Aircraft Information
The helicopter was a Bell 206 B, registration N88HC. No pre-impact mechanical anomalies were reported.
Wreckage and Impact
The helicopter came to rest inverted after the wire strike and subsequent ground impact. The extent of damage was described as substantial.