ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 315133
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| Date: | Sunday 11 June 2023 |
| Time: | 13:06 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 206B JetRanger II |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N85RB |
| MSN: | 831 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1972 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 22057 hours |
| Engine model: | Rolls-Royce 250-C20 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | SW of Pratt Regional Airport (PTT/KPTT), Pratt, KS -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Coldwater, KS (3K8) |
| Pratt Airport, KS (PTT/KPTT) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot and a camera operator were conducting aerial pipeline surveillance at the time of the accident. At the initial planned fuel stop, the self-service Jet A fuel pump did not operate properly, and the pilot was unable to obtain any assistance from the airport. With over “half a tank of fuel', the pilot decided to depart and conduct some additional pipeline surveillance en route to an alternate fuel stop. However, Jet A fuel was not available at the alternate fuel stop. Efforts to find assistance also were not successful. The nearest airport with Jet A fuel was approximately 40 miles away, and about 15 gallons of fuel remained onboard the helicopter. The pilot elected to proceed 15 to 20 miles and land next to a road in an effort to reach cellphone coverage or find a passing vehicle to request assistance. After clearing a windmill farm the pilot began an approach for landing near a road about 6 miles from the intended destination airport. About 100 ft above ground level, “the engine flamed out due to lack of fuel.' The pilot entered an autorotation and subsequently impacted an agricultural field. The aft cabin and lower portion of the aft fuselage sustained substantial damage. The landing skids and aft portion of the tail boom were separated. Neither the pilot nor the operator reported any mechanical failures or malfunctions associated with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight planning.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN23LA237
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=85RB
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 2 May 2012 | N85RB | Hawkeye Helicopter | 0 | NW of Kansas state highways K-4 and K-16 junction, Valley Falls, KS | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Jun-2023 04:38 | Geno | Added |
| 12-Jun-2023 05:42 | RobertMB | Updated |
| 13-Jun-2023 18:34 | Captain Adam | Updated |
| 28-Jul-2023 17:05 | ASN Update Bot | Updated |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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