Pilot Debrief

HUGHES 369D near West Liberty, OH — 2014-07-29

Final reportCEN14LA398
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Date
2014-07-29
Location
West Liberty, OH, USA
Aircraft
HUGHES 369D
Registration
N89ZC
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power, which resulted from fuel exhaustion due to the pilot’s failure to adequately monitor the fuel quantity during the flight.

NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was using an aerial saw to trim trees when the accident occurred. As the helicopter was going through a tree line, the engine lost power, and it then descended into trees and terrain. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that no fuel was present in either the fuel tank or in the engine fuel line. When electrical power was applied to the helicopter after the accident, the fuel quantity indicator showed that the fuel tank was empty. The helicopter was topped off with fuel before the accident flight, and it had been flown 1 hour 50 minutes before the accident. The operator stated that the fuel tank holds 62.4 gallons, and the pilot reported that the helicopter consumes about 30 gallons per hour. It is likely that the pilot did not adequately monitor the fuel quantity during the flight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the flight after realizing fuel was low.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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