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20101015049519A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Bell BHT-206B · Clarkson Valley, MO · October 15, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 15, 2010 · 11:10 local
Place
Clarkson Valley, MO
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N96MP
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN11GA020
Reported as
Bell BHT-206B
Reported engine
Allison C20B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,637 total809 in this make and model38 in the last 90 days
N96MPRegistration cancelled Feb 17, 2011 · Bell 206BS/N 3377 · Built 1981Airframe modelBell 206BEngine 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.

On October 15, 2010 at approximately 11:10 hours local time, a Missouri state highway patrol helicopter (N96MP; BHT-206B) was returning to spirit of saint louis airport (ksus) from a helicopter traffic enforcement mission. The helicopter was piloted by sergeant joseph schuengle, a private pilot certificate number: privacy data omitted who was fatally injured in the accident. Visual meterolgical conditions prevailed at the time. Sgt schuengel completed the enforcement mission and dropped two fellow state troopers off at the arnold police department in arnold, MO. One of the passengers stated that he observed the fuel gauge indication between 25 gallons of fuel remaining and empty. The straight-line distance between arnold police department and spirit of st. louis airport is approximately 24 NM. The straight-line distance from arnold police department and the crash site is approximately 20 NM. According to witness accounts, the engine sputtered and the helicopter began to descend. The main rotor blades and hub separated from the helicopter at an altitude above the trees. The main rotor hub and blade assembly were found approximately 30 feet from the fuselage. There was no post crash fire. Examination of the wreckage the next day revealed a total of approximatley three quarts of fuel in the fuel cell. Upon examination, neglible fuel was recovered from the fuel lines and filter connecting the fuel cell to the engine. The NTSB representative, privacy data omitted, arrived approximatly 20:00 hours on Friday October 15, 2010. The iic provided an inbrief. Mr. Gallo then completed his on scene initial investigation. At approximately 12:00 hours on Saturday October 16, 2010, the helicopter wreckage was moved to the aircraft recovery and storage facility. The engine was examined and removed for shipment to rolls-royce corporation in indianapolis, Indiana. The rotor hub was removed and prepared for shipment. The fuel bladder was subsequently removed and four separate puncture tears were found.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 15, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:10 HOURS LOCAL TIME, A MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL HELICOPTER (N96MP; BHT-206B) WAS RETURNING TO SPIRIT OF SAINT LOUIS AIRPORT (KSUS) FROM A HELICOPTER TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT MISSION. THE HELICOPTER WAS PILOTED BY SERGEANT JOSEPH SCHUENGLE, A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHO WAS FATALLY INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEROLGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. SGT SCHUENGEL COMPLETED THE ENFORCEMENT MISSION AND DROPPED TWO FELLOW STATE TROOPERS OFF AT THE ARNOLD POLICE DEPARTMENT IN ARNOLD, MO. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATION BETWEEN 25 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING AND EMPTY. THE STRAIGHT-LINE DISTANCE BETWEEN ARNOLD POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS AIRPORT IS APPROXIMATELY 24 NM. THE STRAIGHT-LINE DISTANCE FROM ARNOLD POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CRASH SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 20 NM. ACCORDING TO WITNESS ACCOUNTS, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO DESCEND. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND HUB SEPARATED FROM THE HELICOPTER AT AN ALTITUDE ABOVE THE TREES. THE MAIN ROTOR HUB AND BLADE ASSEMBLY WERE FOUND APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET FROM THE FUSELAGE. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE THE NEXT DAY REVEALED A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATLEY THREE QUARTS OF FUEL IN THE FUEL CELL. UPON EXAMINATION, NEGLIBLE FUEL WAS RECOVERED FROM THE FUEL LINES AND FILTER CONNECTING THE FUEL CELL TO THE ENGINE. THE NTSB REPRESENTATIVE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ARRIVED APPROXIMATLY 20:00 HOURS ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 15, 2010. THE IIC PROVIDED AN INBRIEF. MR. GALLO THEN COMPLETED HIS ON SCENE INITIAL INVESTIGATION. AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 HOURS ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 16, 2010, THE HELICOPTER WRECKAGE WAS MOVED TO THE AIRCRAFT RECOVERY AND STORAGE FACILITY. THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED AND REMOVED FOR SHIPMENT TO ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATION IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. THE ROTOR HUB WAS REMOVED AND PREPARED FOR SHIPMENT. THE FUEL BLADDER WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVED AND FOUR SEPARATE PUNCTURE TEARS WERE FOUND.

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 CEN11GA020Accident · 1 fatalFinal reportClarkson Valley, MOThe total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot's inadequate preflight planning and decision-making, and his improper control inputs following the loss of engine power, which resulted in mast bumping and separation of the…Oct 15, 2010 · Substantial damage