Pilot Debrief

MD HELICOPTER 369 near Newberg, OR — 2019-03-17

Final reportWPR19LA097
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Date
2019-03-17
Location
Newberg, OR, USA
Airport
2S6
Aircraft
MD HELICOPTER 369
Registration
N119T
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

The pilot's improper fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total loss of engine power.

NTSB narrative

The pilot and his passenger were enroute to an airport to refuel when the engine lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing in an open field, during which the helicopter landed hard and rolled over. No fuel was found inside the helicopter’s fuel tank following the accident. During an engine test run, the engine started normally and operated through all power settings with no evidence of a mechanical anomaly. The helicopter was fueled to capacity about two weeks before the accident and, at the time of the accident, had flown a total of about 2 hours, 44 minutes since it was fueled. The pilot reported that the helicopter’s fuel consumption rate was between 14 and 16 gallons per hour (gph); however, the owner’s manual performance charts indicated a consumption of 21 gph, and during the postaccident test run, the engine consumed about 26 gph at approximate cruise power demands. At these fuel consumption rates, the helicopter’s fuel endurance with full fuel was between 2 hours, 35 minutes, and 2 hours, 54 minutes. It is likely that the pilot miscalculated the amount of fuel needed for the flight using incorrect fuel consumption rates, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total loss of engine power.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have refueled before departure to prevent fuel starvation.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents8

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