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19990716047779A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Bell OH58A · Bastrop, LA · July 16, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 16, 1999 · 08:34 local
Place
Bastrop, LA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
KFZG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9254R
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW99LA191
Reported as
Bell OH58A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
12,000 total600 in this make and model200 in the last 90 days

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.

(.4) The helicopter experienced a total loss of engine power due to a contaminated fuel system. Days prior to the accident flight, the refueling truck had been contaminated with water, and the accident helicopter had been filled with the contaminated fuel. The pilot and ground crew became aware of the situation and sumped both the truck and the helicopter. The pilot thought that the helicopter's fuel system was free of the contaminated fuel. During the accident flight, the engine lost power, the pilot initiated an autorotation, and the helicopter impacted pine trees. The FAA inspector observed water and algae in the helicopter's fuel filters. The operator stated that the refueling truck's water filter failed to separate the water from the fuel during the fueling operations. After the accident, the operator installed water/fuel separators in all the refueling trucks in addition to the filters that were already in place as an extra measure of safety. (-23) pilot reported a total loss of engine power enroute to the loading area.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO A CONTAMINATED FUEL SYSTEM. DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE REFUELING TRUCK HAD BEEN CONTAMINATED WITH WATER, AND THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER HAD BEEN FILLED WITH THE CONTAMINATED FUEL. THE PILOT AND GROUND CREW BECAME AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND SUMPED BOTH THE TRUCK AND THE HELICOPTER. THE PILOT THOUGHT THAT THE HELICOPTER'S FUEL SYSTEM WAS FREE OF THE CONTAMINATED FUEL. DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER, THE PILOT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION, AND THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED PINE TREES. THE FAA INSPECTOR OBSERVED WATER AND ALGAE IN THE HELICOPTER'S FUEL FILTERS. THE OPERATOR STATED THAT THE REFUELING TRUCK'S WATER FILTER FAILED TO SEPARATE THE WATER FROM THE FUEL DURING THE FUELING OPERATIONS. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE OPERATOR INSTALLED WATER/FUEL SEPARATORS IN ALL THE REFUELING TRUCKS IN ADDITION TO THE FILTERS THAT WERE ALREADY IN PLACE AS AN EXTRA MEASURE OF SAFETY. (-23) PILOT REPORTED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ENROUTE TO THE LOADING AREA.

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 FTW99LA191Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBastrop, LAThe failure of the refueling truck's filter to separate water resulting in the water contamination in the helicopter's fuel system and subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Jul 16, 1999 · Substantial damage