ERA19LA126

During the third aerial surveillance flight of the day, about 5 minutes after takeoff while orbiting at an altitude of 1,100 ft mean sea level, the helicopter experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot performed an autorotation to a fairway on a golf course. During the landing, the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and the fuselage frame around the windscreen. An initial postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that air was present in the fuel lines, which likely led to an interruption in fuel flow to the engine and the loss of engine power. Additional examination confirmed continuity of the fuel system. The engine was subsequently run in the manufacturer’s test cell facility and met all performance standards with no anomalies noted. Given the postaccident findings and that the helicopter departed with the fuel tank about 3/4 full, the investigation was unable to determine how or where air was introduced into the fuel lines.

On March 13, 2019, about 1755 eastern daylight time, a Bell OH-58A helicopter, N519P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The commercial pilot and crewmember were not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 public aircraft flight. According to the pilot, the accident occurred on the third flight of the day, and he had performed a preflight inspection prior to each flight. All three flights were part of an aerial surveillance mission over a local golf tournament. The first flight was 90 minutes long, and the helicopter was refueled prior to the second flight, which was 30 minutes long. The accident flight departed the golf course landing zone with an estimated 340 lbs of fuel on board. About 5 minutes after takeoff while orbiting at 1,100 ft mean sea level, the helicopter suddenly yawed to the left and the “low rotor” horn sounded. The pilot reduced the collective pitch and the horn silenced. He subsequently noticed the “engine out” and “master caution” lights illuminated on the instrument panel, and the engine tachometer showed a decreasing rpm. He performed an autorotation to a fairway on the golf course. During touchdown, the helicopter began to violently shake as it moved forward across the soft ground. As the windscreen began to crack and separate from its frame, the pilot increased collective pitch to reduce the vibration and the helicopter came to a stop. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial damage to the tail boom and the frame around the windscreen and doors. Fuel was present in the fuel tank and a sample taken from the tank was clear with no water present. No fuel or other fluid leaks were observed. A field examination of the engine revealed that all the accessible fuel line “B” nuts displayed matching torque stripes and could not be loosened by hand. The engine components rotated freely by hand with no binding, and there were no visible indications of any components overheating. The starter operated normally. When the starter was engaged the first time, no fuel was present at the fuel spray nozzle supply line. After bleeding air from the fuel lines, operating the starter resulted in fuel flow at the spray nozzle. The engine control’s pneumatic lines were pressurized with shop air with no leaks detected. A test run of the engine was performed at the engine manufacturer’s facility with oversight from an FAA inspector. The engine met all the manufacturer’s performance standards on the test cell, with no anomalies noted.