Bell OH-58A N132HD

Summary

On 24 September 2010 at about 17:45 local time, a Bell OH-58A registered N132HD, operated by Cahaba Forestry Services, was involved in an accident near Taylorsville, Mississippi, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 September 2010 at 17:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Taylorsville, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

31.8133, -89.4200

Aircraft

Bell OH-58A

Registration

N132HD

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Cahaba Forestry Services

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Taylorsville → Taylorsville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10LA499

1 person was seriously injured.

A total loss of engine power while maneuvering at low altitude for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter pilot was surveying a field in preparation for aerial application. While he was maneuvering the helicopter about 100 feet above the ground, the engine lost all power without warning. The pilot noticed a space in between the trees and attempted to autorotate to that spot, but the helicopter impacted trees nearby. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed 16 gallons of fuel remained in the helicopter and no fuel contamination was observed. A successful test-run of the engine was subsequently performed. Examination of the fuel boost pump revealed that the inlet shut-off valve arm was bent, which could restrict fuel flow. When power was applied to the pump, it pumped fuel from a bucket; however, it did not appear to pump the fuel at maximum capacity. Further testing was performed utilizing both the bent arm and a replacement stock arm. The test results were similar for both arms, which were both below the pump's flow requirements. The bent arm was re-installed and a third examination was conducted at the pump manufacturer's facility, which revealed that the pump's ring tong terminals and pump cartridge were the incorrect models for the fuel boost pump; however, during the third test, the pump passed flow tests as received, and flow improved when the inlet valve stem assembly and cartridge were replaced. The bent inlet shut-off valve arm and/or incorrect fuel boost pump assembly could have resulted in a total loss of engine power; however, the investigation could not determine what, if any, effect they had on the helicopter at the time of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.