Accident Bell 47G-2 VH-OCT, Monday 6 January 1986

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Date:	Monday 6 January 1986
Time:	17:46
Type:	Bell 47G-2
Owner/operator:
Registration:	VH-OCT
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	10km N of Colson Camp, NT - Australia
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Survey
Departure airport:	Colson Camp, NT
Destination airport:	Colson Camp, NT
Investigating agency:	BASI
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The aircraft was carrying out a survey in a remote area. When last light occurred, the aircraft was still some distance from the base camp. The pilot decided to follow a road into the camp. En route, the engine lost power and an autorotational decent was carried out for a landing on the road. During the landing, the left skid struck a low dirt bank and the tail rotor struck the dirt bank on the opposite of the road. Throughout the survey, the pilot had used a higher than normal cruise power setting, but had not recalculated the endurance for the higher fuel usage. The engine failed after the fuel became exhausted.

Accident investigation: