19970125000869A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aerosp SA315B · Whiteville, NC · January 25, 1997

Date: January 25, 1997 · 15:00 local
Place: Whiteville, NC
Phase of flight: Pwr Off Run Land (Autorotation
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: ZDFG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N707EX
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA97LA075
Reported as: Aerosp SA315B
Reported engine: TMECA ARTOUSTE3B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,968 total1,987 in this make and model207 in the last 90 days

N707EXRegistration cancelled Sep 10, 2014 · Aerospatiale SA315BS/N 2430 · Built 1976 Airframe modelAerospatiale SA315B Engine modelTurbomeca ARTOUSTEIIIBTurbo-shaft

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Lost power on long line bucket spraying. Hard landing. Choped tailboom. Fuel gauge struck at full with tank empty. (-23) helicopter was flying an aerial application of fertilizer to an area of trees in southeastern north carolina near Whiteville, NC. While setting up for an application approach, the helicopter engine surged and lost power. The pilot made a forced landing on a road. The probable cause of the accident was a faulty fuel probe. A successful engine run was performed during the investigation.

As the FAA filed it

LOST POWER ON LONG LINE BUCKET SPRAYING. HARD LANDING. CHOPED TAILBOOM. FUEL GAUGE STRUCK AT FULL WITH TANK EMPTY. (-23) HELICOPTER WAS FLYING AN AERIAL APPLICATION OF FERTILIZER TO AN AREA OF TREES IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA NEAR WHITEVILLE, NC. WHILE SETTING UP FOR AN APPLICATION APPROACH, THE HELICOPTER ENGINE SURGED AND LOST POWER. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A ROAD. THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS A FAULTY FUEL PROBE. A SUCCESSFUL ENGINE RUN WAS PERFORMED DURING THE INVESTIGATION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA97LA075Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWhiteville, NCThe pilot's intentional operation of the helicopter with known deficiencies in equipment and a false indication of the fuel gauge, resulting in the total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was inadequate maintenance of…Jan 25, 1997 · Substantial damage