# Accident 19970125000869A: Aerosp SA315B, Whiteville, NC, January 25, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 25, 1997, 15:00 local time
- Place: Whiteville, NC
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Pwr Off Run Land (Autorotation
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: ZDFG
- Location: 34.3209° N, 78.7005° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.3209&lon=-78.7005&mi=10
- Aircraft: N707EX, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N707EX-2014-09-10) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerospatiale SA315B (registry code 8680615, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-sa315b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARTOUSTEIIIB (registry code 60003, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-artousteiiib) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSP SA315B
- Reported engine: TMECA ARTOUSTE3B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 5,968 total, 1,987 in this make and model, 207 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA97LA075](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97LA075) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970125000869A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA97LA075](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97LA075), Jan 25, 1997: Aerospatiale SA315B (N707EX), Whiteville, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The 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.…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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