Bell OH-58A N613SS

Summary

On 30 July 2023 at about 19:19 local time, a Bell OH-58A registered N613SS was involved in an accident near Blanchard, Idaho, United States. 4 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

30 July 2023 at 19:19

Classification

Accident

Location

Blanchard, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

48.0102, -116.9841

Aircraft

Bell OH-58A

Registration

N613SS

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1971

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Port Falls → Coolin

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA297

Nobody was injured.

Fuel contamination, which resulted in a loss of engine power. The source of the contamination could not be determined.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

About 15 minutes into the flight, with the helicopter configured in a level attitude, the engine power reduced. The low-rotor alarm then sounded. In response, the pilot initiated an autorotation and performed a run-on landing in tall grass. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The engine ran as expected when placed on a test stand. The helicopter’s fuel was contaminated and had a dark/cloudy appearance with suspended particulates. The fuel samples displayed very low oxidative stability, substantial gum formation, and particulate contamination, all of which likely resulted in the engine’s loss of power. The pilot stored fuel for the helicopter in a 180-gallon aluminum tank with a filter positioned between the tank and a rubber fueling hose. When transferring fuel from the storage tank into the helicopter, the pilot did not filter fuel remaining in the hose between uses. The use of a large storage tank may have hastened fuel oxidation and gum formation. Also, fuel sitting in the hose may have degraded the hose, allowing contaminated fuel to enter the helicopter unfiltered.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.