ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 296344
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| Date: | Wednesday 18 December 2002 |
| Time: | 10:30 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 206B |
| Owner/operator: | Glenwood Aviation LLC |
| Registration: | N651GA |
| MSN: | 1936 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1976 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 10100 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C20B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Odenton, Maryland -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Fort Meade/Odenton-Tipton AAF, MD (FME/KFME) |
| Fort Meade/Odenton-Tipton AAF, MD (FME/KFME) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot departed on an aerial photography mission in a Bell 206B helicopter with what he thought was sufficient fuel for 1.6 hours of flight at 28 gph. Returning to the airport to refuel, he experienced a power loss. A witness reported the helicopter appeared to drop in from about 20 feet. The helicopter struck the ground hard and bounced. The main rotor struck the tail boom aft of the horizontal stabilizer and it separated from the helicopter. The pilot reported that he had been airborne for 1.3 hours. The FAA inspector reported that the fuel tank was empty. Further inspection of the fuel quantity measuring system revealed that it was smooth with no hesitation felt in the sensing arm, or observed on the fuel quantity gauge. With the fuel sensing up in the full up position, the fuel quantity gauge indicated about 2 gallons less than full. With the fuel quantity arm in the lowered position, and no fuel in the tank, the fuel quantity gauge read zero or empty.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to monitor his fuel supply which resulted in a power loss due to fuel exhaustion, and the pilot's misjudged flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB NYC03LA031
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Oct-2022 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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