ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 86746
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| Date: | Thursday 25 July 2002 |
| Time: | 11:10 |
| Type: |  Bell 206B JetRanger II |
| Owner/operator: | Standard Ag Helicopters Inc |
| Registration: | C-GMLS |
| MSN: | 378 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1969 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 8110 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C20 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Ithaca, New York -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Newfield, NY |
| Newfield, NY | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
The Bell 206B was involved in long line operations when the engine lost power. The pilot was operating over a wooded area at 20 mph, transitioning between two pickup areas located about 1,000 feet apart, with no suitable landing area nearby. The pilot stretched his glide to reach a suitable landing area, during which time, the main rotor rpm decayed. Touchdown was hard and the forward skid tube was spread while the rear skid tube penetrated the fuel tank. There was evidence of a limited fuel spill at the accident site. The pilot was operating with an intermittent fuel quantity measuring system, and dipping the tanks with a stick to determine fuel quantity. The helicopter was not equipped with a low fuel quantity light. According to Bell helicopters, use of a dip stick to measure fuel quantity is not an approved procedure. The operator reported that he had not received authority from Transport Canada, to operate with an inoperative fuel gauge, or to dip the tanks to determine fuel quantity. Refueling had been accomplished using an electric fuel pump powered by a battery installed in a truck.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to verify the amount of fuel onboard prior to departure, which resulted in a power loss due to fuel exhaustion, and subsequent hard landing. A factor was the lack of a suitable landing area under the helicopter when the power loss occurred.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20020805X01299&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Dec-2010 08:14 | slowkid | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 09-Dec-2017 16:55 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Cn, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Oct-2018 10:50 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Damage] |
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