What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This helicopter involved is a 1980 model Hughes 369D, N868W, serial number 1000800D, registered dah aircraft LLC and operated by rotor blade, LLC, who is a part 133 operator but was operating as a part 91 positioning flight from dalton, Georgia, to aiken, south carolina. The pilot stated that on March 30, 2012 that he departed from private property in dalton, Georgia, between 1600 to 1615 as a part 91 positioning flight to aiken (aik), south carolina. No flight plan was filed for the VFR flight and a computer weather briefing was obtained. He was about 30 miles from aik, when he encountered a wind change (tailwind to a headwind), which prevented him from continuing to aik. The airspeed decreased as a result of the change in wind direction and he selected airports on the GPS that had fuel. He mistakenly thought Mccormick county airport (S19) had fuel. When he arrived at S19 he realized he had made a mistake. He landed at the airport and looked at the handheld GPS for airports that had fuel. He earlier had observed a gas station and returned there and landed in a grassy area near the gas station. He did not know what the alternate fuel was for the turbine engine, but thought he could use diesel, avgas, alcohol mixtures or other types of fuel. The gas station did not have diesel fuel but they had automotive fuel. He stated that he borrowed two cans and purchased 20 gallons of fuel and placed them in the helicopter. After takeoff the helicopter was about 150 to 200 feet when the engine quit. The helicopter was located in a field laying on its right side and the address at this location is 282 s. mine street, Mccormick, SC 29835. The rotorcraft flight manual does not allow the use of automotive fuel as a substitute.
As the FAA filed it
THIS HELICOPTER INVOLVED IS A 1980 MODEL HUGHES 369D, N868W, SERIAL NUMBER 1000800D, REGISTERED DAH AIRCRAFT LLC AND OPERATED BY ROTOR BLADE, LLC, WHO IS A PART 133 OPERATOR BUT WAS OPERATING AS A PART 91 POSITIONING FLIGHT FROM DALTON, GEORGIA, TO AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA. THE PILOT STATED THAT ON MARCH 30, 2012 THAT HE DEPARTED FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY IN DALTON, GEORGIA, BETWEEN 1600 TO 1615 AS A PART 91 POSITIONING FLIGHT TO AIKEN (AIK), SOUTH CAROLINA. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE VFR FLIGHT AND A COMPUTER WEATHER BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED. HE WAS ABOUT 30 MILES FROM AIK, WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED A WIND CHANGE (TAILWIND TO A HEADWIND), WHICH PREVENTED HIM FROM CONTINUING TO AIK. THE AIRSPEED DECREASED AS A RESULT OF THE CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION AND HE SELECTED AIRPORTS ON THE GPS THAT HAD FUEL. HE MISTAKENLY THOUGHT MCCORMICK COUNTY AIRPORT (S19) HAD FUEL. WHEN HE ARRIVED AT S19 HE REALIZED HE HAD MADE A MISTAKE. HE LANDED AT THE AIRPORT AND LOOKED AT THE HANDHELD GPS FOR AIRPORTS THAT HAD FUEL. HE EARLIER HAD OBSERVED A GAS STATION AND RETURNED THERE AND LANDED IN A GRASSY AREA NEAR THE GAS STATION. HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE ALTERNATE FUEL WAS FOR THE TURBINE ENGINE, BUT THOUGHT HE COULD USE DIESEL, AVGAS, ALCOHOL MIXTURES OR OTHER TYPES OF FUEL. THE GAS STATION DID NOT HAVE DIESEL FUEL BUT THEY HAD AUTOMOTIVE FUEL. HE STATED THAT HE BORROWED TWO CANS AND PURCHASED 20 GALLONS OF FUEL AND PLACED THEM IN THE HELICOPTER. AFTER TAKEOFF THE HELICOPTER WAS ABOUT 150 TO 200 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT.THE HELICOPTER WAS LOCATED IN A FIELD LAYING ON ITS RIGHT SIDE AND THE ADDRESS AT THIS LOCATION IS 282 S. MINE STREET, MCCORMICK, SC 29835. THE ROTORCRAFT FLIGHT MANUAL DOES NOT ALLOW THE USE OF AUTOMOTIVE FUEL AS A SUBSTITUTE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.