- Date
- May 8, 1987, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Brigham City, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N58131Bell 47G3B2A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870508082789A
- Case key
- 17221
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
An ag plt was ferrying a helicopter to another job in his local area. The plt, an ATP, had estimated that the helicopter had enough fuel for the flt. The helicopter's engine quit and an autorotation was performed, resulting in a hard landing. Less than one gallon of fuel was found in the tanks following the accident, and no evidence of any fuel spill was found. Post accident investigation found foreign objects in the fuel system. Evidence indicated that the objects kept the fuel drain petcock open during flt, resulting in fuel exhaustion. The plt stated that he had used the fuel drain petcock to rinse chemicals off his hands just prior to the flt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N58131
- Reported as
- Bell 47G3B2A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6865
- Airframe hours
- 7,122
- Engine
- Lycoming TVO-435-FIA, 280 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Helo-Wood Helicopters Incorp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1986 · 71 hours before
- Departed
- Paradise, UT
- Destination
- U27 · Tremonton, UT
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,400 total · 2,200 in this make and model · 7,000 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
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 N58131 · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.