- Date
- July 13, 1989, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- New Richmond, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N10002Texas Helicopter OH-13H/M74A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890713025829A
- Case key
- 14232
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 misjudgement of the fuel supply which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
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
A total loss of engine power was experienced during the ag flight shortly after takeoff at an altitude of approximately 75 to 100 ft AGL. The tail boom of the helicopter contacted the ground during the autorotation in a corn field which resulted in substantial damage to the helicopter. Post accident inspection revealed fuel exhaustion. The pilot reported he visually checked the fuel quantity against the fuel gauges at the beginning of the flying day. He stated that just prior to the accident takeoff, the fuel gauges indicated 10 to 14 gallons of fuel remained. The helicopter owner stated that at low fuel levels the gauges were known to be unreliable.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N10002
- Reported as
- Texas Helicopter OH-13H/M74A (OH-13H/M74)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 79-030
- Airframe hours
- 679
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Swing Wing, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 1989 · 79 hours before
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
- 41
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 9,093 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 9,024 as pilot in command · 95 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IND, 50 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.
Other investigations on N10002 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.