- Date
- February 26, 2011, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Pierce, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N5689BEnstrom F-28C
- Defining event
- Autorotation: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110226007779A
- Case key
- 78440
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 improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 1
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
The pilot stated that the fuel gauge indicated one-eighth to one-quarter full on takeoff. At an altitude of approximately 200 feet, the low fuel pressure light illuminated, followed by a total loss of engine power. The pilot performed a 180-degree autorotation to a parking lot, and the helicopter landed hard, resulting in substantial damage to the left skid and tail boom. During a postaccident examination, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector drained approximately 3 ounces of fuel from the gascolator. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter, and that he ran it out of fuel by trusting the gauge.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the helicopter stated that the fuel gauge indicated "one-eighth to one-quarter" full on takeoff. At an altitude of approximately 200 feet, the low fuel pressure light illuminated, followed by a total loss of engine power. The pilot performed a 180-degree autorotation to a parking lot, and the helicopter landed hard, resulting in substantial damage to the left skid and tail boom. During postaccident examination, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector drained approximately 3 ounces of fuel from the gascolator. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter, and that he "ran it out of fuel" by "trusting the gauge."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5689B
- Reported as
- Enstrom F-28C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 487-2
- Airframe hours
- 2,942
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Disk Copy Inc, doing business as Ohio Helicopter Flight Service
- Registered owner
- Disk Copy Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 9, 2011
- Departed
- Fort Pierce, FL
- Destination
- Fort Pierce, FL
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
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 30, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,100 total · 1,800 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- FPR, 9 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 648 KB 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.