- Date
- July 3, 1994, 10:50 local (15:50 UTC)
- Place
- Mountain View, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N39WLBell OH-13E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940703017549A
- Case key
- 19104
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 fuel exhaustion as result of a struck fuel drain valve. Factors were the high density altitude, and the unsuitable terrain at the pilot's disposal for the forced landing.
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
A helicopter with a 1 hour and 45 minute range departed with a full tank of fuel on a personal cross country flight. A power loss occurred short of the destination airport, 65 minutes after departure. An autorotation was initiated to a clearing in a rock pit. The pilot allowed the rotor RPM to decay while attempting to clear a fence across his touchdown area. During landing, a main rotor blade made contact with the tailboom. Debris was found blocking the fuel drain valve for the fuel tank in the open position, allowing fuel to drain while en route. The density altitude was 2,200 feet.
Factual narrative
On July 3, 1994, at 1050 central daylight time, a Bell OH-13E helicopter, N39WL, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Mountain View, Arkansas. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight.
According to the pilot, the aircraft was in cruise flight at 1,650 feet MSL when the engine lost power. The pilot added that he established an autorotative descent to a gravel pit, and during the landing flare, he was forced to stretch the glide to clear a fence. One main rotor blade struck and severed the tailboom.
Records indicate that the 29 gallon fuel tank in the helicopter was topped off with 16.1 gallons of 100LL AVGAS prior to departure from the North Little Rock Airport at 0945. The loss of power occurred after 65 minutes of flight had elapsed. The estimated fuel consumption rate for the helicopter is 16 gallons per hour. A post accident inspection of the helicopter revealed that the fuel tank was empty.
According to the pilot, debris was found in the fuel drain valve for the fuel tank and the valve may have been stuck in the open position, thereby allowing the fuel to leak out while the helicopter was en route.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N39WL
- Reported as
- Bell OH-13E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 514
- Airframe hours
- 4,669
- Engine
- Franklin 6V-335-A, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Haley, William J.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 9, 1993 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- 1M1 · No. Little Rock, AR
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total · 140 in this make and model · 2,050 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.