Bell B206L-1 N5007F
9 December 2004 · Patterson, Louisiana, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 9 December 2004 at about 18:30 local time, a Bell B206L-1 registered N5007F was involved in an accident near Patterson, Louisiana, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 18:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Patterson, Louisiana, United States
- Coordinates
- 29.7072, -91.3333
- Aircraft
- Bell B206L-1
- Registration
- N5007F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Ss-198 → Patterson
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DFW05CA044
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation resulting from the pilot's failure to activate the fuel boost pumps prior to takeoff. A contributing factor was that the helicopter was at an airspeed and altiutude combination (below height/velocity curve) which precluded the pilot from executing a successful autorotation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot lifted off and approximately 50 feet above ground level (agl), the engine lost power. The helicopter was at an airspeed and altitude combination (below height/velocity curve), and the pilot was unable to execute a successful autorotation. The helicopter contacted the ground in a high rate of descent, resulting in the main rotor blade contacting the tail boom. At the time of the incident the helicopter contained less then 200 pounds of fuel and the pilot had not engaged the fuel boost pump circuit breakers before liftoff. The Bell 206L-1 flight manual, revision 21, indicated the following: "Warning: If both fuel boost pumps fail, unusable fuel may be as high as 150 pounds due to inability to transfer fuel from the forward cells."
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jun 2004 | Bell 206-L1 | Vermillion Bay, Louisiana, United States | American Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 3 |
| 9 Dec 2004 | Hughes 369D | Zachary, Louisiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 Dec 2004 | Cessna T210N | Abita Springs, Louisiana, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 27 Mar 2004 | Stinson 108-1 | Slidell, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Mar 2004 | Grumman G-164B | Mamou, Louisiana, United States | Central Farmers Flying Service | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 2004 | Bell 206-L4 | Patterson, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |