Bell 206B accident near Hartford, Kentucky, May 10, 2013
On May 10, 2013 at about 11:42 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N94PH, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Hartford, Kentucky. 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 avoid a powerline that crossed a field that he was spraying. Contributing to the collision was the company’s failure to specifically mention that flight hazards be identified during a pre-work conference.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 2013 · about 11:42 pm local time
- Place
- Hartford, Kentucky · 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
- N94PH · no longer on the register · serial 2809
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before spraying a tract, the pilot circled it three times to look for lines, obstructions, houses, and people and to develop a plan to spray the field. He completed two spray passes, and during the third spray pass, he heard a “pop” sound and saw “the lines” as they contacted the windscreen. The helicopter was controllable for a “brief moment,” but it then yawed slowly to the right and slightly down at which point all control was lost. The helicopter continued to rotate clockwise and veered to the right, then impacted the ground on the left side. The pilot reported that there was no preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction with the helicopter or its systems, and that during his three orbits of the tract, he did not identify the power line that he subsequently contacted. While the company policy and procedures manual specified that the pilot identify potential problem areas or miscommunications, it did not specify that flight hazards be identified during the pre-work conference. Postaccident, the operator changed its policy and procedures manual and specifically stated that flight hazards be identified during the pre-work conference before spraying a tract.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Adequacy of policy/proc › Operator
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 320 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,870 as pilot in command; 1,340 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 8, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,635 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 3, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Provine Helicopter Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: Hartford KY at 11:37 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from OWB, 16 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.