20041209031399A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Bell 206L-1 · Patterson, LA · December 9, 2004

Date: December 9, 2004 · 12:30 local
Place: Patterson, LA
Airport: Harry P Williams Memorial Airport
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: EGIA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5007F
NTSB investigation: NTSBDFW05CA044
Reported as: Bell 206L1
Reported engine: Allison 250C30P
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 14,250 total3,553 in this make and model180 in the last 90 days

N5007FRegistered now · Bell Helicopter Textron 206L-1S/N 45186 · Built 1978 Airframe modelBell Helicopter Textron 206L-1 Engine modelAllison 250 SER 250HPTurbo-shaft

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) On 12/09/2004, 07:25, N5007F departed SS-198 with pilot (only) on board with approximately 450 lbs of fuel. As the visibility dropped the pilot elected to land on a small island near the morgan city ship channel and shut down. He attempted several times to fly but due to weather conditions had to wait. At approximately 12:00 hours he was able to fly to another island close by. At 12:40 p.m. he attempted another flight. At 50 to 100 feet altitude, 20-40 KTS, the engine shut down and he hit the ground hard. The m/r blades contacted the t/r drive shafts on the tail boom, resulting in substantial damage to the tail boom, fuselage, and m/r drive system. No injuries. Pilot reported he was down to about 200 lbs. Of fuel and had forgotten to turn the fuel boost pumps on.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 12/09/2004, 07:25, N5007F DEPARTED SS-198 WITH PILOT (ONLY) ON BOARD WITH APPROXIMATELY 450 LBS OF FUEL. AS THE VISIBILITY DROPPED THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON A SMALL ISLAND NEAR THE MORGAN CITY SHIP CHANNEL AND SHUT DOWN. HE ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO FLY BUT DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS HAD TO WAIT. AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 HOURS HE WAS ABLE TO FLY TO ANOTHER ISLAND CLOSE BY. AT 12:40 P.M. HE ATTEMPTED ANOTHER FLIGHT. AT 50 TO 100 FEET ALTITUDE, 20-40 KTS, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND HE HIT THE GROUND HARD. THE M/R BLADES CONTACTED THE T/R DRIVE SHAFTS ON THE TAIL BOOM, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM, FUSELAGE, AND M/R DRIVE SYSTEM. NO INJURIES. PILOT REPORTED HE WAS DOWN TO ABOUT 200 LBS. OF FUEL AND HAD FORGOTTEN TO TURN THE FUEL BOOST PUMPS ON.

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 DFW05CA044Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportPatterson, LAThe loss of engine power due to fuel starvation resulting from the pilot's failure to activate the fuel boost pumps prior to takeoff. A contributing factor was that the helicopter was at an airspeed and altiutude combination (below height/velocity curve)…Dec 9, 2004 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N5007F · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19970131009439IHovering · Morgan City, LANarrative: on January 31, 1997, at 1530 central standard time, a Bell, model 206-L1, N5007F, operated by mobil business resources, inc., experienced a loss of tail rotor effectiveness while maneuvering for a photography mission at an unrecoverabale altitude.…Jan 31, 1997 · Minor damage