19990816026419I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Skrsky S58T · Ann Arbor, MI · August 16, 1999

Date
August 16, 1999 · 12:15 local
Place
Ann Arbor, MI
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
BWBA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N58S
Reported as
Skrsky S58T
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A60A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,610 total177 in this make and model

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.

(-23) Pilots picked up cargo in kalamazoo, MI (azo) for delivery to auto plant in dearborn. About halfway between battle creek (btl) and jackson (jxn) they observed the #2 fuel filter bypass caution light flickering. They opened the crossfeed valve, thereby feeding both engines from the front tank. About 5 miles northeast of Ann Arbor (arb) both engines quit. Pilot in command performed an autorotation to the grass median of us highway 23. The helicopter rolled onto and across the roadway and came to rest on the berm. There was some damage to the horizontal stabilizer, which had hit a small tree. There was no fuel in the forward tank and several hundred pounds of fuel in the rear tank. Company maintenance personnel removed the main and tail rotors and towed the helicopter to home base.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOTS PICKED UP CARGO IN KALAMAZOO, MI (AZO) FOR DELIVERY TO AUTO PLANT IN DEARBORN. ABOUT HALFWAY BETWEEN BATTLE CREEK (BTL) AND JACKSON (JXN) THEY OBSERVED THE #2 FUEL FILTER BYPASS CAUTION LIGHT FLICKERING. THEY OPENED THE CROSSFEED VALVE, THEREBY FEEDING BOTH ENGINES FROM THE FRONT TANK. ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF ANN ARBOR (ARB) BOTH ENGINES QUIT. PILOT IN COMMAND PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION TO THE GRASS MEDIAN OF US HIGHWAY 23. THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO AND ACROSS THE ROADWAY AND CAME TO REST ON THE BERM. THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE TO THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, WHICH HAD HIT A SMALL TREE. THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE FORWARD TANK AND SEVERAL HUNDRED POUNDS OF FUEL IN THE REAR TANK. COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REMOVED THE MAIN AND TAIL ROTORS AND TOWED THE HELICOPTER TO HOME BASE.