ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 356607
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| Date: | Saturday 5 October 1996 |
| Time: | 16:00 LT |
| Type: |  Enstrom F-28C |
| Owner/operator: | Custom Aviation, Inc. |
| Registration: | N574H |
| MSN: | 361 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1976 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1028 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming HIO-360-E1AD |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Spokane, WA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Executive |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot began the takeoff in the helicopter while giving a ride to a passenger at a local festival. About 100 feet above the ground, the engine began to run rough and quit. The helicopter, which was not insured, was damaged when the pilot initiated an emergency descent and impacted trees. The operator claimed that the fuel in the helicopter, his fuel truck, and his ground supply tank had been contaminated with jet fuel prior to the accident. Subsequent NTSB testing revealed that the fuel could not have been contaminated, and that jet fuel must have been added to the helicopter and the operator's self-tested fuel samples after the accident. The engine was examined in detail and tested by NTSB. No evidence of damage due to jet fuel contamination was found. The engine initially ran rough due to a restricted fuel nozzle, then ran within specifications (no turbocharger) after the nozzle was changed. The nozzle restriction was not found. Maintenance discrepancies such as a leaking turbocharger, improperly installed fuel nozzles, crimped fuel vent line, and a separated magneto cap were found, but no conclusive evidence associated with the accident power loss was found.
Probable Cause: a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB SEA97FA003
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 7 December 2012 | N574H | Private | 0 | near Abilene (KABI), TX | |
sub |
| Fuel exhaustion | ||||||
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Mar-2024 08:59 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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