Hughes OH-6A N369PS

Summary

On 15 November 2003 at about 20:00 local time, a Hughes OH-6A registered N369PS was involved in an accident near Brooksville, Florida, United States. 2 people were 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

15 November 2003 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Brooksville, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Brooksville (KBKV)

Coordinates

28.4733, -82.4553

Aircraft

Hughes OH-6A

Registration

N369PS

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Titusville → Brooksville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA04LA022

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power due to the pilot's failure to adequately plan for the flight which resulted in fuel exhaustion, a forced landing, and damage to the helicopter during the landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that as he was approaching to land, and while on the downwind leg, all gages were indicating normal. He said that at an altitude of about 200 to 300 feet AGL, he pushed the collective down to initiate the descent, and lights and engine out warnings commenced. He said he immediately entered an autorotation and landed the helicopter, but during the landing on uneven ground the right skid was lower and dug into the ground, causing the helicopter to nose down. The main rotor blades then contacted the tail boom, severing it, and the helicopter rotated about 90 degrees. The pilot said that he did not receive any low fuel warning signal, and that prior to the accident there had been no failures or malfunctions to the helicopter or any of its systems. Postcrash examination of the helicopter by an FAA inspector and a representative from Rolls Royce/Allison Engine Company revealed about 1 quart of fuel remaining when the fuel bladders were drained through the fuel drain. In addition, when the fuel line to the injectors was removed and drained, about 20 ml of fuel was recovered, and when the fuel filter on the fuel control was removed, inspected and drained, the filter was found to be clean, and about 1/8 bowl of fuel was recovered. The inspector stated that fuel had been exhausted from the helicopter, and added that there had been a fold in the fuel tank bladder that he thought was affecting the fuel float assembly ,and was giving a false fuel quantity reading, as well as affecting the low fuel warning. According to the Rolls Royce/Allison Engine company representative, who examined the helicopter in the presence of the FAA inspector and the pilot, all helicopter systems were found to be functional. The representative said that he did find a small folded crease in the left fuel tank bladder when he opened the panel, gaining entry to the fuel tank, but further stated that the crease was about 1 to 1 1/2-inches in height, and about 1/4 inch across, and it would not have affected the fuel tank capacity. In addition, the engine was shipped to Rolls Royce/Allison Engine Company for a test run which revealed that the engine functioned within parameters, with no anomalies being noted.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.