# Accident 20000324006329A: Aerospatiale SA315B, Springfield, GA, March 24, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 24, 2000, 12:15 local time
- Place: Springfield, GA
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: Z1SG
- Location: 32.3591° N, 81.2992° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.3591&lon=-81.2992&mi=10
- Aircraft: N230US, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N230US-2019-08-29) (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)
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL00LA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL00LA038) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000324006329A

## Narrative

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

(-23) NOTIFIED OF ACCIDENT AT APPROXIAMTELY 1400 HOURS ON 03/24/00. TRAVELED FROM AIRFRAME COMPONENTS IN GARDEN CITY, GA TO SPRINGFIELD,GA.  THE CRASH SITE WAS OFF SR21 APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES TO THE WEST ON PUSECULUM ROAD.  LATITUDE 32.23.49 LONGITUDE 81.23.47.  UPON ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE THE HELICOPTER WAS SITTING UPRIGHT BUT HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR AND ENGINE AND CAIN MOUNTING SYSTEMS.  WITNESS STATEMENTS AND PILOT STATEMENT INDICATE THAT HELICOPTER WAS POSITIONING TO PICK UP ANOTHER LOAD OF FERTILIZER WHEN THE PILOT THOUGHT HE SNAGGED THE BUCKET, HE RELEASED THE BUCKET AND THERE APPEARED TO BE A COMPRESSOR STALL AND WAS LOOSING POWER QUICKLY.  THE PILOT MOVED THE HELICOPTER FORWARD AWAY FROM THE LOAD TRUCK AND ATTEMPTED A AUTROTATION AND HAD A HARD LANDING.  THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK PINE TREES.  UPON INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT THE FUEL GAUGE READ ZERO WITH THE POWER ON AND ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANKS AND FULE LINES TO THE ENGINE.

## 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 ATL00LA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL00LA038), Mar 24, 2000: Aerospatiale SA315B (N230US), Springfield, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate preflight planning resulting in 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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