- Date
- March 29, 2023, 09:23 local (14:23 UTC)
- Place
- Wade, OK · Open agricultural field
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N82851Bell OH-58A
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Fuel contamination
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230329002399A
- Case key
- 106987
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 total loss of engine power due to fuel contamination.
Findings · 2
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
While maneuvering during an aerial application flight, the engine lost power, and the pilot conducted an autorotation to a field. During the autorotation, the helicopter landed hard, rolled over, and sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed a foamy cream-colored liquid in the airframe fuel filter and fuel line. The pilot reported that before the accident flight the helicopter was fueled from the operator’s support truck fuel tank. Initial examination of the tank showed no visible signs of fuel contamination. A subsequent visual examination, several days later, showed the same cream-colored contamination that was identified in the helicopter fuel system. The pilot reported that the truck’s fuel tank was filled the day before from his on-site fuel storage tank. The reason for the fuel contamination in the operator’s on-site fuel storage or the helicopter fuel system could not be determined. The loss of engine power was attributed to fuel contamination.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N82851
- Reported as
- Bell OH-58A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 72-21118
- Built
- 1972
- Airframe hours
- 12,010
- Engine
- Allison T63 SERIES, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Prentice Aviation, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 3, 2023
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- N/A
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 33,100 total · 12,000 in this make and model · 31,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KDUA, 15 nm away
- METAR
- KDUA 291415Z AUTO 11004KT 10SM SCT120 10/02 A3028 RMK AO2=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 4, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.0 MB 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.