20180729018289I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Robinson Helicopter R22 MARINER · Long Branch, NJ · July 29, 2018

Date: July 29, 2018 · 18:00 local
Place: Long Branch, NJ
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N292PD
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R22 Mariner
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 369 total396 in this make and model16 in the last 90 days

N292PDRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R22 MARINERS/N 2498M · Built 1995 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 MARINER Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

The subject aircraft made a precautionary landing on a beach due to a low fuel level condition. The flight originated at groton new london airport (kgon) with a final destination of lakewood airport (KN12). The pilot in command stated during the flight unexpected head winds were encountered leading to a fuel burn rate much higher than normal. The pilot stated approximately half way through the flight it became evident he would not be able to make it to lakewood airport as planned due to the unexpected fuel burn rate, at this point a decision was made to go to monmouth executive airport (kblm) for fuel. Prior to reaching monmouth executive airport approximately a half mile short of the new jersey shore line the fuel low caution warning light illuminated, the PIC stated he decided to make a precautionary landing on the beach. The aircraft landed under full engine power on the beach without incident.

As the FAA filed it

THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON A BEACH DUE TO A LOW FUEL LEVEL CONDITION. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT GROTON NEW LONDON AIRPORT (KGON) WITH A FINAL DESTINATION OF LAKEWOOD AIRPORT (KN12). THE PILOT IN COMMAND STATED DURING THE FLIGHT UNEXPECTED HEAD WINDS WERE ENCOUNTERED LEADING TO A FUEL BURN RATE MUCH HIGHER THAN NORMAL. THE PILOT STATED APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY THROUGH THE FLIGHT IT BECAME EVIDENT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO LAKEWOOD AIRPORT AS PLANNED DUE TO THE UNEXPECTED FUEL BURN RATE, AT THIS POINT A DECISION WAS MADE TO GO TO MONMOUTH EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (KBLM) FOR FUEL. PRIOR TO REACHING MONMOUTH EXECUTIVE AIRPORT APPROXIMATELY A HALF MILE SHORT OF THE NEW JERSEY SHORE LINE THE FUEL LOW CAUTION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE PIC STATED HE DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON THE BEACH. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED UNDER FULL ENGINE POWER ON THE BEACH WITHOUT INCIDENT.