20090722014469A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Hughes 369D · Uniontown, PA · July 22, 2009

Date: July 22, 2009 · 11:29 local
Place: Uniontown, PA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator: UTLL
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N61735
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA09FA414
Reported as: Hughes 369D
Reported engine: Allison 250C20R2
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,844 total1,252 in this make and model72 in the last 90 days

N61735Registration cancelled Jan 6, 2014 · Hughes Helicopters HUGHES 369DS/N 690534D Airframe modelHughes Helicopters HUGHES 369D Engine modelAllison 250-C20 seriesTurbo-prop

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) Pilot was performing geophysical seismic survey and was enroute to staging area for fuel. Aircraft crashed approximately one mile short of the staging area. The helicopter crashed and came to rest in an upright normal attitude with a slight lean to the left due to compression with the terrain. Investigation revealed that the auxiliary fuel tank bladders appeared to be empty. The underbelly and tail boom of the helicopter appeared to have no fuel residue that would indicate a fuel leak. The internal structure lower skin appeared to have no fuel that would indicate a fuel leak. The fuel nozzle line had approximately two drops of fuel, and there was approximately one third of a cup of fuel in the airframe fuel filter and plumbing leading to the fuel pump. The terrain below the aircraft exhibited no apparent fuel. External load consisted of 4 bags and associated hardware weighing approximately 1200 pounds.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS PERFORMING GEOPHYSICAL SEISMIC SURVEY AND WAS ENROUTE TO STAGING AREA FOR FUEL. AIRCRAFT CRASHED APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE SHORT OF THE STAGING AREA. THE HELICOPTER CRASHED AND CAME TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT NORMAL ATTITUDE WITH A SLIGHT LEAN TO THE LEFT DUE TO COMPRESSION WITH THE TERRAIN. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AUXILIARY FUEL TANK BLADDERS APPEARED TO BE EMPTY. THE UNDERBELLY AND TAIL BOOM OF THE HELICOPTER APPEARED TO HAVE NO FUEL RESIDUE THAT WOULD INDICATE A FUEL LEAK. THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE LOWER SKIN APPEARED TO HAVE NO FUEL THAT WOULD INDICATE A FUEL LEAK. THE FUEL NOZZLE LINE HAD APPROXIMATELY TWO DROPS OF FUEL, AND THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY ONE THIRD OF A CUP OF FUEL IN THE AIRFRAME FUEL FILTER AND PLUMBING LEADING TO THE FUEL PUMP. THE TERRAIN BELOW THE AIRCRAFT EXHIBITED NO APPARENT FUEL. EXTERNAL LOAD CONSISTED OF 4 BAGS AND ASSOCIATED HARDWARE WEIGHING APPROXIMATELY 1200 POUNDS.

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 ERA09FA414Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportFranklin, PAA loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's fuel mismanagement.Jul 22, 2009 · Substantial damage