Summary
On July 09, 2012, a Bell 47G-3B-2 (N2919W) was involved in an incident near Treynor, IA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
The pilot performed a pre-flight inspection and noted the 61-gallon fuel tank was just over a quarter full. After about 26 minutes of aerial application runs, the helicopter yawed left and a warning light flickered. The pilot did not see which light had illuminated. Thinking it was a fuel problem, he checked the fuel quantity gauge, which read two needle-widths below a quarter tank. The pilot continued spraying and several seconds later the turbine-engine stopped producing power. The pilot turned left and made an autorotation run-on landing to a field. After the helicopter came to a stop, the main rotor blades flexed downward and severed the tail boom. Approximately 1.75 gallons of fuel was drained from the two fuel tanks.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN12CA435. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2919W.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot performed a pre-flight inspection and noted the 61-gallon fuel tank was just over a quarter full. After about 26 minutes of aerial application runs, the helicopter yawed left and a warning light flickered. The pilot did not see which light had illuminated. Thinking it was a fuel problem, he checked the fuel quantity gauge, which read two needle-widths below a quarter tank. The pilot continued spraying and several seconds later the turbine-engine stopped producing power. The pilot turned left and made an autorotation run-on landing to a field. After the helicopter came to a stop, the main rotor blades flexed downward and severed the tail boom. Approximately 1.75 gallons of fuel was drained from the two fuel tanks. The pilot reported the usual fuel consumption was about 25 gallons per hour and the tanks had about 4 gallons of unusable fuel. The pilot said there were no mechanical problems prior to the accident and the engine was most likely starved of fuel due to the low fuel level and unusual attitudes inherent to helicopter aerial applications.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN12CA435