What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 1, 2014 at approximately 2255Z, an American Eurocopter EC-130-B4 helicopter, N133GC, operated by papillon airways inc. (PG9A), departed the Boulder City municipal airport, (bvu), for a local maintenance operational check flight with the pilot as the sole occupant on board.
After operating approximately eight minutes in the vicinity of the airport, as the aircraft was on a final approach to a dedicated helipad located adjacent to the operator?s maintenance facility, the pilot later reported observing a ?low fuel pressure? Warning light followed nearly instantaneously with a complete loss of engine power. According to the pilot, this occurred at approximately 200 feet of altitude and 40 knots.
The helicopter impacted a dirt area located between the parallel north/south runways, coming to rest on the left side of the aircraft.
Investigation of the event determined that the aircraft appeared to be intact with control continuity and damage consistent with the facts reported by the pilot, operator and witnesses to the event.
During an inspection of the aircraft fuel delivery system, an engine fuel line fitting was found to have been improperly installed, in a fashion which could lead to interruption of the normal fuel flow to the aircraft engine.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 1, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 2255Z, AN AMERICAN EUROCOPTER EC-130-B4 HELICOPTER, N133GC, OPERATED BY PAPILLON AIRWAYS INC. (PG9A), DEPARTED THE BOULDER CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, (BVU), FOR A LOCAL MAINTENANCE OPERATIONAL CHECK FLIGHT WITH THE PILOT AS THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON BOARD.
AFTER OPERATING APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MINUTES IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT, AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A FINAL APPROACH TO A DEDICATED HELIPAD LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE OPERATOR?S MAINTENANCE FACILITY, THE PILOT LATER REPORTED OBSERVING A ?LOW FUEL PRESSURE? WARNING LIGHT FOLLOWED NEARLY INSTANTANEOUSLY WITH A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THIS OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET OF ALTITUDE AND 40 KNOTS.
THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED A DIRT AREA LOCATED BETWEEN THE PARALLEL NORTH/SOUTH RUNWAYS, COMING TO REST ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT.
INVESTIGATION OF THE EVENT DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE INTACT WITH CONTROL CONTINUITY AND DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH THE FACTS REPORTED BY THE PILOT, OPERATOR AND WITNESSES TO THE EVENT.
DURING AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM, AN ENGINE FUEL LINE FITTING WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED, IN A FASHION WHICH COULD LEAD TO INTERRUPTION OF THE NORMAL FUEL FLOW TO THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.