LAX05CA313

All engine power was lost while the pilot was maneuvering at a low altitude during an aerial application flight. The pilot made a hard forced landing in an open field and bounced. Thereafter, the main rotor blades severed the tail boom. The accident occurred during the third aerial application flight. For the first flight he had refueled with 25 gallons of fuel, and the helicopter was carrying a full load of insecticide. On the second flight he took on only insecticide. On the third (accident flight), he again only took on insecticide. The pilot reported that his normal procedure is to refuel on the second flight, which he did not do. He reported that with 25 gallons of fuel on board he could fly about 20 minutes with a 10-minute reserve. The pilot acknowledged that he should have refueled after the second application, but failed to do so and experienced fuel exhaustion. No mechanical anomalies were reported with the helicopter.

On September 21, 2005, at 2200 Pacific daylight time, the pilot flying a Hiller UH 12-E, N141HA, made a hard forced landing near Five Points, California. The pilot owned the helicopter, and he operated it under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137 as an aerial application flight. The helicopter sustained substantial damage, and the commercial helicopter pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed about 30 minutes prior to the accident. No flight plan had been filed.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector interviewed the pilot. The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that he had just finished spraying a biological organic insecticide and was returning to the truck to reload and refuel. He was making a left pedal turn, and returning to the truck when the engine lost all power. At the time the helicopter's airspeed was about zero miles per hour, and the helicopter was about 75 feet about the ground. The pilot reported that he leveled the skids and landed hard on the flat open field. Thereafter, the helicopter bounced into the air, landed again, spun around two times, and finally came to rest on its right skid supported by the main rotor blades. The pilot reported that during the accident sequence the main rotor blades chopped off the tail boom.

According to the pilot, he had sprayed two 25-acre blocks prior to the accident. For the first flight he had refueled with 25 gallons of fuel, and the helicopter was carrying a full load of insecticide. On the second flight he took on only insecticide. On the third (accident flight), he again only took on insecticide. The pilot reported that his normal procedure is to refuel on the second flight, which he did not do. He reported that with 25 gallons of fuel on board he could fly about 20 minutes with a 10-minute reserve.

The pilot told the FAA that he should have refueled after the second block, and he ran out of fuel. He further reported that there were no mechanical anomalies noted with the helicopter.