# Accident 20140101000299A: Eurocopter EC 130 B4, Boulder City, NV, January 1, 2014

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 1, 2014, 15:05 local time
- Place: Boulder City, NV
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: PG9A
- Location: 35.9469° N, 114.8600° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9469&lon=-114.8600&mi=10
- Aircraft: N133GC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N133GC-2014-11-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter EC 130 B4 (registry code 8680989, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-ec-130-b4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER EC 130 B4
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 2,157 total, 537 in this make and model, 38 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR14LA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14LA084) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140101000299A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 WPR14LA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14LA084), Jan 1, 2014: Eurocopter EC 130 B4 (N133GC), Boulder City, NV, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the noncertificated maintenance technician’s failure to properly tighten and safety wire a B-nut fitting. Contributing to the accident was…

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.

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