ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 277530
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| Date: | Monday 18 April 2022 |
| Time: | 11:10 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 206B-3 JetRanger III |
| Owner/operator: | Vertical Vegetation Management LLC |
| Registration: | N919AC |
| MSN: | 4020 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1988 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 11661 hours |
| Engine model: | Rolls-Royce 250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Cedar Key, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Cedar Key, FL |
| Cedar Key, FL | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot was performing aerial application flights during which he returned to the landing zone five times to receive additional product. He recalled spending the majority of his time troubleshooting a spray rate system issue and was not paying attention to the fuel level while ground personnel were loading the product. During climb out on the final spray, the engine lost all power. During the subsequent autorotation and hard landing on a gravel road, the tail boom and tail rotor drive shaft sustained substantial damage.
The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter and that upon landing he noticed that the fuel gauge showed empty.
Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector found that a total of 2.5 gallons of uncontaminated Jet A fuel was able to be sumped from the helicopter's fuel system. Residual and trace amounts of fuel were discovered in the engine driven fuel pump and fuel filters. The helicopter was not equipped with an optional low fuel light.
The helicopter flight manual advised to avoid uncoordinated turns and maneuvers with fewer than 20 gallons.
It is likely that while the pilot maneuvered out of the field following his final spray, the engine was starved of fuel, which resulted in the loss of engine power.
The operator following the accident amended their ground personnel training manual to require that both the ground personnel and the pilot ‘confirm fuel quantity OK' prior to each takeoff.
Probable Cause: The pilot's improper fuel planning during agricultural spraying operations, which resulted in fuel starvation, a loss of engine power, and a hard landing following an autorotation.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ERA22LA192
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 25 June 2023 | N919AC | Vertical Vegetation Management LLC | 0 | Kaolin Field Airport (OKZ/KOKZ), Sandersville, GA | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 19-Apr-2022 19:23 | harro | Added |
| 19-Apr-2022 19:24 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 01-Jul-2022 14:57 | AgOps | Updated [Phase, Nature, Source, Category] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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