# NTSB CEN17LA336: Hughes 369A, N50MP, Burnet, TX, September 2, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 2, 2017, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC) - Place: Burnet, TX - Coordinates: 30.791666, -98.23278 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.7917&lon=-98.2328&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 6, 2018 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 95941 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN17LA336 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/95941/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95941 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17LA336 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate inflight decision making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Personnel issues](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02040000): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Hughes 369A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02040000/cases.md?model=4470503), [All aircraft, 56 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02040000/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Hughes 369A, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=4470503), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Hughes 369A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=4470503), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Autorotation: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092); cases with it: [Hughes 369A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=4470503), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot and two passengers had conducted aerial hog hunt operations from a helicopter and were en route to an airport when the engine lost power. The pilot conducted an autorotation to a road; however, the helicopter landed hard, resulting in substantial damage. An examination of the helicopter revealed that the fuel tank was empty, and no residual fuel was found in the system. Since the pilot was en route to an airport where fuel was available, it is likely that he spent too much time airborne and misjudged the amount of fuel needed to reach the destination. The accident is consistent with a fuel exhaustion event. ## Factual narrative On September 2, 2017, about 1645 central daylight time, a Hughes 369A helicopter, N50MP, conducted an autorotation near Burnet, Texas. The pilot was not injured, one passenger received minor injuries, and one passenger received serious injuries. The helicopter was substantially damaged during the landing. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Lyft, LLC, Missoula, Montana, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. According to the responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot and two passengers were conducting aerial hog hunt operations. The helicopter was en route to the Burnet Municipal Airport-Kate Craddock Field Burnet Municipal airport (KBMQ), Burnet, Texas, when the engine lost power. The pilot conducted an autorotation to a road; however, the helicopter landed hard, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and tailboom. The FAA inspector used a dip stick to check the fuel tank; the fuel tank was empty. The inspector also looked at the pump/injector and check valve; however, no residual fuel was found. The inspector checked the last place the helicopter was refuel, noting that the station's filters were not contaminated and that other people had purchased fuel and no problems had been reported. The pilot did not return a completed an NTSB 6120 form. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N50MP](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N50MP-2019-11-29), registration cancelled 2019-11-29, S/N 1180860, built 1968 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: HUGHES 369A (NO SERIES) - Registry model: [Hughes 369A](https://openairdocs.org/model/hughes-369a) (registry code 4470503) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Allison 250-C10D](https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c10d) (registry code 03035, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 1180860 - Year built: 1968 - Engines: Allison 250 turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Operator: Lyft LLC - Registered owner: Lyft LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Destination: Burnet, TX - Flight plan: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 51; injuries: none; commercial; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: right ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 170° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 91 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: KBMQ ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20170902018019A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170902018019A), Sep 2, 2017: Hughes 369A, Burnet, TX, Substantial damage. During return to bmq(Burnet, TX.) N50MP a huges 369A exhausted all its fuel approximately 1 mile short of the fuel facility at Burnet. The pilot failed to… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 10, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95941. 92 KB in all. - Memo (item 1, .PDF, 92 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40459296&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memo-Master.PDF 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.