Enstrom 280CB N440RB

Summary

On 17 June 2000 at about 21:00 local time, a Enstrom 280CB registered N440RB was involved in an accident near Ruidoso, New Mexico, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 June 2000 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Ruidoso, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

33.3491, -105.6800

Aircraft

Enstrom 280CB

Registration

N440RB

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN00LA113

3 people had minor injuries.

the loss of engine power as a result of fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight planning. A contributing factor was the pilot's lack of experience in the model of helicopter.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was giving helicopter sightseeing rides to people at a local fair. His ground support partner was planning to intermittently fuel the aircraft's right saddle tank with 5 gallon cans to maintain a 25% fuel load. The two 21 gallon (20 gallons usable) fuel tanks do have a 3/8 inch in diameter interconnecting line, but it is recommended that refueling be done through the fueling caps in each tank. The interconnecting line has a 'T' connector in it with a 3/8 inch in diameter main fuel line leading to the engine. If the helicopter were refueled on one side while the engine was running, it would be possible (at low fuel levels) for the other fuel tank to cavitate. The fuel gauge indication is derived from a single fuel level float device that is located in the right fuel tank. Neither the pilot nor his ground support partner could remember how much flight time had been flown or how much fuel had been put in the aircraft. The pilot said that during his 5th flight of the day, the engine power deteriorated and he performed an autorotation. During the landing sequence, the main rotor blades cut off the tail boom and slapped the ground, and the left skid supports were broken. A postaccident engine test run identified no abnormalities with the engine. The pilot registered the helicopter on May 24, 2000, and had accumulated approximately 25 to 27 hours in make and model.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.