ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 353012
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| Date: | Friday 16 July 1999 |
| Time: | 08:34 LT |
| Type: |  Bell OH-58A |
| Owner/operator: | North Star Helicopter Inc. |
| Registration: | N9254R |
| MSN: | 41705 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1971 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3777 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison C-20B-T63 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Bastrop, LA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter experienced a total loss of engine power due to a contaminated fuel system. Days prior to the accident flight, the refueling truck had been contaminated with water, and the accident helicopter had been filled with the contaminated fuel. The pilot and ground crew became aware of the situation and sumped both the truck and the helicopter. The pilot thought that the helicopter's fuel system was free of the contaminated fuel. During the accident flight, the engine lost power, the pilot initiated an autorotation, and the helicopter impacted pine trees. The FAA inspector observed water and algae in the helicopter's fuel filters. The operator stated that the refueling truck's water filter failed to separate the water from the fuel during the fueling operations. After the accident, the operator installed water/fuel separators in all the refueling trucks in addition to the filters that were already in place as an extra measure of safety.
Probable Cause: The failure of the refueling truck's filter to separate water resulting in the water contamination in the helicopter's fuel system and subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW99LA191
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Mar-2024 09:30 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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