# Accident 20101015049519A: Bell BHT-206B, Clarkson Valley, MO, October 15, 2010

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 15, 2010, 11:10 local time
- Place: Clarkson Valley, MO
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.6331° N, 90.5978° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.6331&lon=-90.5978&mi=10
- Aircraft: N96MP, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N96MP-2011-02-17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell 206B (registry code 1181511, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250 SER 250HP (registry code 03002, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-ser-250hp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL BHT-206B
- Reported engine: ALLISON C20B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,637 total, 809 in this make and model, 38 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN11GA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11GA020) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20101015049519A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 CEN11GA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11GA020), Oct 15, 2010: Bell 206B (N96MP), Clarkson Valley, MO, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The 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…

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.