# Accident 20000308009309A: Bell OH58A, Calipatria, CA, March 8, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 8, 2000, 12:20 local time - Place: Calipatria, CA - Airport: Calipatria Municipal Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Autorot Descent (Rotorcraft) - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Operator: NJHG - Location: 33.1300° N, 115.5217° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1300&lon=-115.5217&mi=10 - Aircraft: N39FA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N39FA) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Bell OH-58A (registry code 1181579, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-oh-58a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BELL OH58A - Reported engine: ALLSN 250C20C - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 13,200 total, 1,200 in this make and model, 160 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA118](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA118) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000308009309A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) THE PILO STATED THAT THIS WAS HIS FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DAY AND THAT DURING HIS PREFLIGHT CHECKS, HAD CYCLED THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE FROM THE FULL OPEN POSITION, TO THE FULLY CLOSED POSITION AND BACK TO OPEN. THIS PROCEDURE DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE AIRCRAFT'S PREFLIGHT CHECKLIST. HE SAID THAT HE STARTED THE HELICOPTER AND RAN THE ENGINE FOR ABOUT SEVEN TO TEN MINTUES BEFORE LIFTING IT OFF OF THE PAD. AFTER A BRIEF HOVER, HE PROCEEDED IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD (AIRPORT SIDE) THAT RUNS BETWEEN THE HIGH SCHOLL AND AIRPORT PROPERTY. AS HE CLIMBED TOWARDS A TARGET ALTITUDE OF 200 FEET, HE HAD JUST PAST THE LAST OF THE HIGH SCHOLL BUILDINGS AT ABOUT 70 TO 100 FEET WHEN HE REALIZED THAT HE HAD LOST ALL POWER. KNOWING THAT THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTH, HE TURNED LEFT (SOUTH) AND PROCEEDED ACROSS THE ROAD TOWARDS AN OPEN FIELD. AFTER CLEARING THE POWER WIRES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE HELICOPTER ABRUPTY FELL TO THE GROUND. THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH WAS DETERMINED TO BE LOSS OF SUFFICIENT ROTOR SPEED. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THE HELICOPTER HIT THE GROUND, HE CRAWLED FROM THE WRECKAGE AND DOES NOT REMEMBER MOVING ANY SWITCHES OR LEVERS. THE OW NER OF THE AIRCRAFT WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT AND STATED THAT, AS ONE OF THE FIRST ON THE SCENE, HE TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH, GENERATOR SWITCH, AND FUEL BOOST PUMP ONLY. WHEN THE CALIPATRIA FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, FIREMEN JOHN FAUBION (TREY) STATED THAT HE ASKED TODD PANKRATZ, THE AIRCRAFT OWNER'S SON, ABOUT SHUTTING OFF THE FUEL ON THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH HE AND TODD CLAIMED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS ALREADY IN THE "OFF" POSITION. DURING THE POST-CRASH INVESTIGATION, THE FUEL LINE WAS DISCONNECTED AT THE ENGINE FUEL NOZZLE AND NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE HOSE. WHEN THE AIRFRAME FUEL FILTER WAS OPENED, ONLY 4 OUNCES OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE BOWL WHICH NORMALLT HOLDS ABOUT 20 OUNCES. THERE WERE ONLY TRACES OF FUEL FOUND IN THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL FILTER. THE N1 AND N2 TURBINES BOTH ROTATED FREELY, IT WAS DETERMINED BY INSPECTION AND MOVEMENT OF THE FUEL SELECTOR HANDLE, THE THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. THE FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS OPERATED AND SEEMED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THOUGH THE EXACT AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE FUEL TANK WAS NOT DETERMINED, THERE APPEARED TO BE AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF ENGINE POWER LOSS WAS FROM LACK OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE. THIS WAS MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF ENGINE BY THE FUEL SELCTOR VALVE MOVEMENT INTO THE CLOSED POSITION. THOUGH THE PILOT FEELS THAT HE RETURNED THAT VALVE TO THE OPEN POSITION, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE THA HE DID NOT GET IT OVER THE LOCK WHICH ALLOWED THE VALVE TO MOVE INTO THE CLOSED POSITION BY ITSELF, PERHAPS ASSISTED BY NORMAL AIRCRAFT VIBRATION. (.4) ON MARCH 8, 2000, AT 1215 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, AN ARROW FALCON OH-58A, N39FA, EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS AND MADE A FORCED LANDING WHILE TAKING OFF AT CALIPATRIA, CALIFORNIA. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS AN AGRICULTURAL FLIGHT BY FARM AIR SERVICES, INC., UNDER 14 CFR PART 137 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING FROM THE CLIFF HATFIELD MEMORIAL AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. WITNESSES SAID THE PILOT WAS TAKING OFF TO THE SOUTH FROM THE OPERATOR'S RAMP AND HAD REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 60 FEET AGL WHEN THE POWER LOSS OCCURRED. AT THE TIME, HE WAS APPROACHING UTI LITY UTILITY LINES AT THE FIELD BOUNDARY AND CHOSE TO MAKE A CYCLIC CLIMB IN ORDER TO CLEAR THEM. AFTER CLEARING THE LINES, HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING BUT LACKED SUFFICIENT MAIN ROTOR RPM TO DECELERATE AND CUSHION THE LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD, BOUNCED, AND SPUN LATERALLY. IN THE PROCESS, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES FLEXED DOWN AND SEVERED THE TAILBOOM. THE POSTCRASH INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR HAD BEEN IN THE OFF POSITION. THE FUEL FILTER WAS OPENED AND ONLY ABOUT 4 OUNCES OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE BOWL, WHICH NORMALLY HOLDS ABOUT 20 OUNCES. THERE WERE NO TRACES OF FUEL FOUND IN THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL FILTER. BOTH THE N1 AND N2 TURBINES ROTATED FREELY. THE PILOT DID NOT RECALL MOVING ANY SWITCHES OR LEVERS BEFORE EXITING THE HELICOPTER. A PILOT/OPERATOR REPORT OF THE ACCIDENT ON NTSB FORM 6120.1/2 WAS NOT RECEIVED. ## 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 LAX00LA118](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA118), Mar 8, 2000: Arrow OH-58A (N39FA), Calipatria, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate checklist procedure prior to departure, which did not verify the fuel selector was in the proper position for flight, and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate main rotor… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.