ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 298851
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| Date: | Saturday 17 June 2000 |
| Time: | 14:00 LT |
| Type: |  Enstrom 280CB |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N440RB |
| MSN: | 1081 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1426 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming HIO-360 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | RUIDOSO, New Mexico -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | (KSRR) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot was giving helicopter sightseeing rides to people at a local fair. His ground support partner was planning to intermittently fuel the aircraft's right saddle tank with 5 gallon cans to maintain a 25% fuel load. The two 21 gallon (20 gallons usable) fuel tanks do have a 3/8 inch in diameter interconnecting line, but it is recommended that refueling be done through the fueling caps in each tank. The interconnecting line has a 'T' connector in it with a 3/8 inch in diameter main fuel line leading to the engine. If the helicopter were refueled on one side while the engine was running, it would be possible (at low fuel levels) for the other fuel tank to cavitate. The fuel gauge indication is derived from a single fuel level float device that is located in the right fuel tank. Neither the pilot nor his ground support partner could remember how much flight time had been flown or how much fuel had been put in the aircraft. The pilot said that during his 5th flight of the day, the engine power deteriorated and he performed an autorotation. During the landing sequence, the main rotor blades cut off the tail boom and slapped the ground, and the left skid supports were broken. A postaccident engine test run identified no abnormalities with the engine. The pilot registered the helicopter on May 24, 2000, and had accumulated approximately 25 to 27 hours in make and model.
Probable Cause: the loss of engine power as a result of fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight planning. A contributing factor was the pilot's lack of experience in the model of helicopter.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB DEN00LA113
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Oct-2022 23:30 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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