- Date
- December 4, 1987, 17:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Dallas, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N206DWBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 2, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871204069189A
- Case key
- 22441
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
The fuel pump warning light came on and the pilot headed for a local airport. Enroute, the engine surged and flamed out. During the landing, the rotor blades hit trees, and the helicopter made a hard landing. The fuel gage indicated 11 gallons. Later the gage indicated 14 gallons, but five gallons total were drained from the tank. With the tank empty, the gage indicated 8 gallons. There was no fuel in the airframe filter. After the fuel boost pump was turned on, there was fuel in the HP filter. Pilot stated in report, 'due to the faulty fuel boost pump and inaccurate fuel gage reading, aircraft sustained engine failure due to fuel starvation'.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N206DW
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 56
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David Walden
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- RBD · Dallas, TX
- Airport
- ADS · Addison
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,850 total · 98 in this make and model · 3,800 as pilot in command · 127 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 135° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.