Pilot Debrief

ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II near Wainwright, AK — 2012-07-31

Final reportANC12CA082
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Date
2012-07-31
Location
Wainwright, AK, USA
Aircraft
ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
Registration
N74496
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The failure of ground personnel to ensure the helicopter was serviced with the proper fuel. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to monitor the fueling process.

Contributing factors

Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to monitor the fueling process.

NTSB narrative

After landing at the airport, the pilot asked ground personnel to fuel the helicopter while he prepared a sling load for his next flight. The pilot said that while he was weighing the sling load cargo on a nearby scale, the ground crew finished fueling the helicopter. The pilot then signed the fuel delivery manifest for the 25.4 gallons of aviation fuel. Shortly thereafter, the pilot boarded the helicopter and started the engine. He said that after liftoff, he picked up the 775-pound sling load and then departed toward his destination. About 10 to 15 seconds after takeoff, the engine began to run rough and lose power, so the pilot elected to land, but while attempting to set the sling load on the ground, all engine power was lost. The low rotor warning horn sounded, the pilot entered a low-altitude emergency autorotation and attempted to cushion the landing, but the helicopter landed hard. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tail rotor drive system. A postaccident examination revealed that the reciprocating engine helicopter had been inadvertently serviced with Jet A turbine fuel. In a written statement, the ground personnel who fueled the helicopter stated that they thought they were fueling the helicopter with aviation gas, but they were using the same trailer that they used to fuel larger (turbine-powered) helicopters.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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