Fuel exhaustion Accident Bell 47D N39KH,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 30067
 
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Date:Friday 4 August 2000
Time:17:24
Type:Silhouette image of generic B47G model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Bell 47D
Owner/operator:Pablo M. Ejarque
Registration: N39KH
MSN: 39
Year of manufacture:1947
Total airframe hrs:3007 hours
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Stockton, CA -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Fresno, CA (FAT)
Destination airport:Stockton Metro, CA (SCK)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The commercial pilot performed an autorotative landing to an open field following a loss of engine power while in cruise flight. The skids contacted a berm on touchdown, and the helicopter began rocking. As the helicopter pitched fore and aft, the main rotor blades and tail rotor blades contacted the ground. The single engine helicopter utilized a single-tank fuel system capable of containing 29 gallons of fuel. The pilot anticipated a 16 g.p.h. fuel-flow, and determined he had an endurance of 1 hour 48 minutes. The helicopter engine run time was 1 hour 35 minutes prior to losing power. The pilot's post accident inspection of the aircraft revealed that the fuel load had been exhausted. He indicated in the accident report, under the section titled "Recommendation (How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented)," that he could have conducted "more planning on cross-country flights."

Probable Cause: The pilot's inadequate planning by which he miscalculated fuel consumption which resulted in fuel exhaustion.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: LAX00LA288
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001212X21765&key=1

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
27-Sep-2008 01:00 ASN archive Added
19-Oct-2011 16:40 Dr. John Smith Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
05-Jun-2014 15:21 TB Updated [Time, Location, Source, Damage, Narrative]
12-Dec-2017 19:52 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]

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