Pilot Debrief

HUGHES 369A near Burnet, TX — 2017-09-02

Final reportCEN17LA336
Sign in to save
Date
2017-09-02
Location
Burnet, TX, USA
Aircraft
HUGHES 369A
Registration
N50MP
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate inflight decision making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

NTSB narrative

The pilot and two passengers had conducted aerial hog hunt operations from a helicopter and were en route to an airport when the engine lost power. The pilot conducted an autorotation to a road; however, the helicopter landed hard, resulting in substantial damage. An examination of the helicopter revealed that the fuel tank was empty, and no residual fuel was found in the system. Since the pilot was en route to an airport where fuel was available, it is likely that he spent too much time airborne and misjudged the amount of fuel needed to reach the destination. The accident is consistent with a fuel exhaustion event.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel levels before departure to prevent power loss.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 1 docket document
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents1

Related mishaps