# NTSB ERA12TA515: Bell 206B, N118EC, San Juan, PR, August 18, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Final report - Date: August 18, 2012, 20:06 local (23:06 UTC) - Place: San Juan, PR - Coordinates: 18.426944, -66.076385 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.4269&lon=-66.0764&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 11, 2012 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 84730 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA12TA515 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/84730/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84730 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12TA515 ## Probable cause The crew’s inadequate preflight inspection and failure to monitor the fuel state during flight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid management (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Inadequate inspection (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Flight crew (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Autorotation: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092); cases with it: [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) ## Analysis The helicopter was serviced with 25 gallons of fuel about 3 hours before the accident flight, and the pilot thought he had a total of 60 gallons of fuel on board. About 35 minutes into the flight, the crew smelled a fuel-like odor and initiated a return to the airport. Five minutes later, the fuel pump warning light illuminated, and the engine lost power. The pilot initiated an autorotation into a parking lot, and the helicopter landed hard, partially severing the tail boom. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel tank was empty and undamaged. There were no signs of fuel leakage observed, and the fuel filler cap was secure. All fuel system components and lines were in good working order. The fuel gauge read “zero” when energized on the ground. Fuel was later added to the tank to check for leaks; none were observed. Finally, the engine was removed from the airframe and installed on a similar helicopter. The engine was test run on the ground and in a hover for a total of 40 minutes with no anomalies noted. The fuel burn during the test run was normal for the helicopter. Neither pilot reported observing the fuel tank gauges during the accident flight. It is likely that the crew began the flight with much less fuel than they thought they had and did not monitor the fuel state during flight. ## Factual narrative On August 18, 2012, about 2006 Atlantic daylight time, a Bell 206B, N118EC, was substantially damaged following a loss of engine power and hard landing at San Juan, Puerto Rico. The commercial-rated pilot, commercial-rated co-pilot, and one observer were not injured. The helicopter was registered to a private corporation and was operated by the San Juan Police Department as a public use flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Isla Grande Airport (TJIG), San Juan, Puerto Rico, about 1930. The pilot reported that the helicopter was serviced with 25 gallons of Jet A fuel about three hours prior to the flight. Combined with 35 gallons already in the tank, the total fuel on board was 60 gallons. The flight departed TJIG at 1930 on a routine surveillance mission in the Rio Piedras and San Juan Metro area. About 2000, the crew smelled a fuel-like odor and decided to return to TJIG. About five minutes later, the fuel pump warning light illuminated and the engine lost power. The pilot elected to perform an autorotation in a nearby parking lot. The helicopter landed hard and the main rotor blades contacted and partially severed the tail boom, forward of the tail rotor assembly. Neither pilot, in their written statements, mentioned any observation of the fuel tank gauge in flight. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors responded to the accident site and documented the condition of the wreckage. The inspector confirmed substantial damage to the helicopter. The wreckage was then recovered to the operator's facilities where a subsequent examination was performed. The examination revealed no evidence of fuel in the fuel tank. The fuel tank was undamaged. The fuel gauge read "zero" gallons when power was applied to the electrical system. There were no leaks found in the fuel lines and the fuel cap was secure. Testing of all fuel system components revealed no evidence of a malfunction or failure. Fuel was added to the fuel tank and no leaks were observed. On August 22, 2012, the engine from the accident helicopter was removed and inspected. External and internal examination, utilizing a borescope, revealed no mechanical anomalies or damage. The engine was then installed on another company helicopter to accomplish a test run. The helicopter was serviced with 60 gallons of Jet A fuel to simulate the accident flight conditions. The engine was started and ground run for 25 minutes, followed by 15 minutes in a hover. The fuel consumed in the 40-minute period was 12 gallons. Historical records for the accident helicopter revealed that the average fuel burn was about 20 gallons per hour. All engine parameters during the test run were in the normal range and no fuel leaks were noted. ## Aircraft - Registration: N118EC (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: BELL 206B - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 2218 - Airframe hours: 5647 - Engines: ROLLS-ROYC 250-C20B 400 horsepower turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Public aircraft - local, Public use - Operator: San Juan Police Department - Registered owner: Ecolift Corp - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, July 31, 2012, 83 hours before - Departed: TJIG, San Juan, PR - Destination: TJIG, San Juan, PR - Flight plan: VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 47; injuries: none; commercial; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review December 29, 2011; seat: right; flight hours: 2,900 total, 1,000 in this make and model, 2,300 as pilot in command, 100 in the last 90 days, 35 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 50; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: left ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 80° at 6 knots - Visibility: 9 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 75 °F - Altimeter: 30.02 inHg - Observed at: TJSJ, 5 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20120818021559A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120818021559A), Aug 18, 2012: Bell 206B, San Juan, PR, Substantial damage. On August 18, 2012, the accident stand by for FSDO 63, San Juan, was inspector jose torres. At about 2048 hrs, he was notified by the regional operation center… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 19, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84730. 3.4 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376924&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Correspondence with FAA Inspector (item 2, .PDF, 203 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376931&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Correspondence%20with%20FAA%20Inspector-Redacted.PDF - Submissions from Ecolift Corporation (item 3, .PDF, 288 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376932&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Submissions%20from%20Ecolift%20Corporation-Redacted.PDF - Fuel Records (item 4, .PDF, 344 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376933&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Fuel%20Records-Redacted.PDF - Photo 1: Main Wreckage, Viewed from Aft, Left Side (FAA Digital Photo) (item 5, .PDF, 320 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376939&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%3A%20Main%20Wreckage,%20Viewed%20from%20Aft,%20Left%20Side%20(FAA%20Digital%20Photo)-Master.PDF - Photo 2: Damage to Aft Tail Boom (FAA Digital Photo) (item 6, .PDF, 290 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40376940&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%3A%20Damage%20to%20Aft%20Tail%20Boom%20(FAA%20Digital%20Photo)-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.