Bell UH-IB accident near Bennettsville, South Carolina, October 12, 1996
On October 12, 1996 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Bell UH-IB (helicopter), registered N846MC, was destroyed in an accident near Bennettsville, South Carolina. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper planning/decision, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power due to an inadequate supply of usable fuel. A factor relating to the accident was: an inoperative left boost pump, which increased the amount of unusable fuel in the respective tank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 12, 1996 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bennettsville, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell UH-IB
- Registration
- N846MC · no longer on the register · serial 60-3567
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was being used on an aerial application flight when it collided with the ground. There were no reported eyewitnesses to the accident. Head injuries of the pilot prevented him from giving a full account of the accident. Examination of the accident site disclosed that the tail section of the airframe collided with the ground, followed by the nose section colliding with a stump. Examination of the airframe and subsystems failed to disclose a mechanical problem. A review of the aircraft maintenance logs disclosed several open discrepancies. One discrepancy stated that the left fuel boost pump was not operational. According to the aircraft operator's manual, about 55 pounds of fuel would have been unusable in the left tank, if the boost pump was not operational. Wreckage examination revealed about 1/4 inch of fuel in the right fuel tank and about four inches (less than 55 pounds) of fuel in the left fuel tank. Neither the odor of fuel nor visible fuel leakage was noted at the accident site. Cockpit examination revealed that the left fuel pump boost circuit breaker was out. No fuel tank selector was installed in the UH-1B helicopter.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 825 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 3,950 as pilot in command; 179 on instruments
- Medical certificate: None (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,654 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 6, 1996; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T-53L11D (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 11:47 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from FLO, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.