- Date
- July 14, 1991, 14:05 local (19:05 UTC)
- Place
- Freeport, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N16962Bell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910714062359A
- Case key
- 23366
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 failure to maintain sufficient rotor RPM during the autorotation. Factors were the fuel exhaustion induced power loss due to the pilot's improper pre-flight inspection.
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 pilot stated that the fuel gauge read 74 gallons during his pre flight inspection and that 10 minutes after takeoff, when he was about half way to his destination, it was reading 24 gallons. He further stated that when he was about 5 miles from the destination the boost pump lights came on and the gauge was reading 5 gallons. He stated that at that point he decided to execute a precautionary landing and find the problem. The engine flamed out due to fuel exhaustion before he could land and he entered autorotation. During the descent the pilot noticed that he was going to hit a bush and he extended his glide over the bush. As a result the aircraft landed hard in a tail low attitude. Investigation revealed that the pilot had not visually checked the fuel during the pre flight and that the aircraft had 20 gallons of fuel on board when he departed on the accident flight. All of the fuel system components, including the fuel gauge were functionally tested and operated normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16962
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2362
- Airframe hours
- 7,336
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Houston Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Notlef Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 13, 1991 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Pearland, TX
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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,773 total · 2,098 in this make and model · 1,996 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GLS, 15 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.
Other investigations on N16962 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.