Bell 206B N119SP

Summary

On 10 April 1999 at about 01:15 local time, a Bell 206B registered N119SP was involved in an accident near Cloquet, Minnesota, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 April 1999 at 01:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Cloquet, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

46.7196, -92.4907

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N119SP

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Minneapolis → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

CHI99LA130

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate fuel management which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power. Related factors were the pole and dusk light conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he was 10 miles from Cloquet Carlton County Airport when he noticed a low fuel pressure warning. The pilot stated that he knew of a field that he could land in, five miles from his current position, and decided to maneuver the helicopter to that location. The pilot reported that while over the predetermined field, at approximately 300 feet above ground level, the engine lost total power and he began an autorotation towards the field. The pilot stated that he performed a run-on landing, in order to avoid two posts, and came to rest in an upright attitude. The pilot reported that he did not see the reflecting posts until the aircraft was near the ground because of the low light condition. The pilot reported that he had 35-gallons of fuel when he departed Crystal Airport at 1905. The pilot stated that the flight time, from Crystal Airport to Cloquet Carlton County Airport, was typically 1.2 hours to 1.5 hours. According to the Chief Pilot of the Minneapolis State Police, the fuel burn for the accident helicopter was 25 gallons/hour. In a telephone conversation with the investigator-in-charge, the pilot indicated that he ran out of fuel during the accident flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.