- Date
- November 14, 2010, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Broomfield, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N299RJSchweizer 300C
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 12, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20101114052279A
- Case key
- 77800
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper execution of an autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, while returning back to his home airport the helicopter's engine began to sputter. He elected to perform a precautionary landing and, while descending to an unoccupied football field, the engine lost total power. During touchdown, the helicopter landed hard and spun counterclockwise before coming to rest in the upright position, substantially damaging the tailboom. An on-scene examination of the helicopter revealed that both fuel tanks were empty and that no fuel was observed underneath the wreckage or on the field. After adding fuel, the engine the helicopter operator was able to run the engine at various power settings with no anomalies.
Factual narrative
While returning back to his home field, the single-engine helicopter's engine began sputtering. The private pilot began looking for an open area to perform a precautionary landing. While descending for an unoccupied football field, the engine quit. The pilot continued the autorotation to the field. During the landing, the helicopter landed hard and spun counterclockwise before coming to rest in the upright position. Substantial damage was sustained to the tailboom. During an on-scene examination of the helicopter, the fuel tanks were both found empty. No fuel was found underneath the wreckage or on the field. After adding fuel to the engine the helicopter operator was able to run the engine at various engine settings with no anomalies. In addition, the fuel low light passed functional testing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N299RJ
- Reported as
- Schweizer 300C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1883
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mountain One Helicopters
- Registered owner
- New Course Aviation Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KEIK · Erie, CO
- Destination
- KEIK · Erie, CO
- Flight plan
- Unknown
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 65 total · 65 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- BJC, 5 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 3, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 63 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.