- Date
- January 17, 1983, 12:50 local (17:50 UTC)
- Place
- Cincinnati, OH
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N59426Bell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830117002049A
- Case key
- 12071
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The bell 206 helicopter experienced fuel exhaustion during approach for landing at a helipad. During autorotation the pilot moved left to avoid a pickup truck on the off ramp of I-75 and collided with a light pole at about 10 feet AGL. The aircraft yawed left, landed hard and slid about 10 feet. The pilot had started the flight with less than a full load of fuel to avoid being late for tv news photographers, who were to be his passengers. After picking up the two passengers at wcpo-tv helipad they flew for about 40 minutes, when the pilot with 12 gallons of fuel indicated, informedthe passengers they had to return because of low fuel. At 300 feet AGL about one quarter mile from the pad with 9 gallons indicated the rear boost pump warning light illuminated, the air filter ice light illuminated, indicating a drop in fuel pressure, followed by auto ignition light and flame out.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59426
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1126
- Airframe hours
- 2,555
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Kentucky Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,788 total · 2,067 in this make and model · 4,607 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 1 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LUK, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.