Bell 206 incident near Springfield, Illinois, March 17, 2009
On March 17, 2009 at about 6:38 am local time, a Bell 206 (helicopter), registered N595AE, suffered minor damage in an incident during taxi near Springfield, Illinois (Company Helipad airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the parked helicopter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 2009 · about 6:38 am local time
- Place
- Springfield, Illinois · Company Helipad · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206 L-1 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N595AE · registry record · serial 45244
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was returning to the company helipad when he was told by another on duty pilot on the ground to refuel at a south fuel tank because the north fuel tank was empty. A helicopter was parked at the northeast end of the helipad. The pilot said that he attempted to get close to the south fuel tank for the fuel hose to reach the helicopter so that he wouldn't have to pull out the full length of the hose. As he brought the helicopter into a hover, its main rotor blades stuck the main rotor blades of the parked helicopter. The pilot said that there was good visibility and a lot of lights in the area. The on duty pilot said that he was going to ground guide the helicopter but that his radio battery lost power and was unable to do so.
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
What happened, in order
- Ground collision during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,502 hours in all; 1,751 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 6,434 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 26, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19,109 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 18, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Evac Ems, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: St. Johns Hospi IL at 6:31 am
- Destination: AE27 Springfield IL
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 5:52 am from SPI, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 3 |
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.