Bell 206B accident near Newton, Texas, October 13, 2010
On October 13, 2010 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N499BH, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Newton, Texas. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s attempted takeoff with the fuel hose attached to the helicopter and the pilot and ground crew’s failure to accurately communicate.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 2010 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Newton, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N499BH · no longer on the register · serial 2400
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed the agricultural helicopter on a truck and remained inside the cockpit while a ground crew added chemical and fuel. After mistakenly believing that a ground crew member had signaled that it was safe to depart, the pilot lifted the helicopter off the truck only to realize that the fuel hose was still attached. The helicopter rolled to the right and off the truck. A main rotor blade impacted the ground and one of the ground crew members. The helicopter came to rest on its right side and the pilot was able to exit unassisted. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact malfunctions or failure with the helicopter’s flight controls or engine.
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
- Aircraft servicing event during prior to flight
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Accuracy of communication › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Accuracy of communication › Ground crew
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 25,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 16, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,684 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Heartland Helicopter Leasing INC
The flight
- Departed from: Newton TX at 1:00 pm
- Destination: Newton TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 12:45 pm from JAS, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.