Pilot Debrief

BELL OH-58A near Covington, TN — 2010-09-18

Final reportERA10LA484
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Date
2010-09-18
Location
Covington, TN, USA
Airport
M04
Aircraft
BELL OH-58A
Registration
N38FA
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

A loss of engine power due to contamination of the helicopter's fuel supply.

NTSB narrative

During the initial climb on an aerial application flight, the helicopter's engine lost power while at 30 feet above ground level and in translational lift. The pilot stated that the engine began surging and the helicopter began losing altitude and impacted the ground. A postaccident examination of the helicopter's fuel system by the owner revealed particulate matter in the fuel nozzle. When the nozzle was examined by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) it had no carbon deposits, indicating that it had been cleaned prior to shipment. An examination of the fuel nozzle after a postaccident engine run revealed carbon deposits on the surface. The engine was then placed in an engine test cell and operated normally with no hesitation or abnormalities noted. The NTSB's materials laboratory determined the particulate matter to be torque stripe material. Although it could not be determined where the particulate matter came from, it is likely that it restricted the fuel supply to the engine and resulted in the loss of power.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Refueling process could have been checked for contaminants before flight.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 13 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents13

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