Bell 206 accident near Gumboro Township, Delaware, August 24, 2009
On August 24, 2009 at about 9:36 pm local time, a Bell 206 (helicopter), registered N98KR, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) operating) near Gumboro Township, Delaware. 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 failure to secure the flight controls before exiting the running helicopter. Contributing to the accident was the operator’s practice of exiting the helicopter while it was still running.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2009 · about 9:36 pm local time
- Place
- Gumboro Township, Delaware · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206 L1 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N98KR · no longer on the register · serial 45683
- 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 helicopter pilot stated that he was completing an aerial application flight due to deteriorating weather. After landing on a wet, elevated platform, he exited the running helicopter, which was a common company practice during refueling and reloading operations. Moments later, the helicopter yawed to the right, slid off the platform and landed on the mast, resulting in substantial damage to the rotor assembly, left side fuselage, and tail boom. The pilot later stated that he did not recall securing the flight controls before exiting the helicopter. A Federal Aviation Administration examination of the accident scene revealed that the flight control friction locks were not tight, and that the landing platform was not level. A representative of the helicopter manufacturer stated that there was nothing published by the company that restricted a pilot from exiting a helicopter while it was running. However, there is a note in the pilot’s operating handbook for the engine shutdown procedure that states, “Pilot -- remain at flight controls until rotor has come to a complete stop.” A representative of the National Agricultural Aviation Association stated that although the practice of hot refueling was common in the industry, the practice of exiting a running helicopter was not.
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 handling event during standing (engine(s) operating) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Adequacy of policy/proc › Operator
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Parking/securing › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 15,800 as pilot in command; 1,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 14, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,144 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 6, 2009; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C30P (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Helicopter Applicators Inc
The flight
- Departed from: Gumboro Township DE
- Destination: Gumboro Township DE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
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.