- Date
- January 24, 2003, 07:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Myers, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N543FHFairchild Hiller FH-1100
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20030124002039A
- Case key
- 56403
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 inadequate preflight/preparation and his in-flight planning/decision which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the loss of engine power.
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 flight had departed the airport and was traveling in a northwest bound direction when the pilot reported to the control tower that he was going down. The pilot told investigators that the helicopter's engine had lost all power, and that he performed an autorotation into the river. The pilot was rescued from the water by another helicopter that was in the area, before the helicopter sank. An FAA-supervised examination of the wreckage was conducted at the Lee County Mosquito Control Facility. The examination was assisted by an airframe and powerplant mechanic from the Lee County Mosquito Control Facility. About a tablespoon of fuel was drained from the fuel nozzle line. Approximately 3 ounces of fuel was drained from the fuel pump filter bowl. Four ounces of fuel was drained from the main tank to the pump inline filter and 1.5 quarts of fuel was drained from the main fuel tank. Approximately 22 quarts of brackish water was drain from the main fuel tank. The mechanic stated he remembered during the examination the fuel cap was not secured and no external damage was noted to the engine. No cracks or broken parts, leakages or rods were found when the exterior surface examination of the engine was conducted. A completed NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) was not received.
Factual narrative
On January 24, 2003, about 0730 eastern standard time, a Fairchild/Hiller helicopter, N543FH, operated by a private individual as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight impacted with water during a forced autorotation and landing near Fort Myers, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The commercial-rated pilot received minor injuries. The flight had originated from Page Airport, Fort Myers, Florida, a few minutes before the accident.
The flight had departed the airport and was traveling in a northwest bound direction when the pilot reported to the control tower that he was going down. The pilot told investigators that the helicopter's engine had lost all power, and that he performed an autorotation into the river. The pilot was rescued from the water by another helicopter that was in the area, before the helicopter sank.
An FAA-supervised examination of the wreckage was conducted at the Lee County Mosquito Control Facility. The examination was assisted by an airframe and powerplant mechanic from the Lee County Mosquito Control Facility. About a tablespoon of fuel was drained from the fuel nozzle line. Approximately 3 ounces of fuel was drained from the fuel pump filter bowl. Four ounces of fuel was drained from the main tank to the pump inline filter and 1.5 quarts of fuel was drained from the main fuel tank. Approximately 22 quarts of brackish water was drain from the main fuel tank. The mechanic stated he remembered during the examination the fuel cap was not secured and no external damage was noted to the engine. No cracks or broken parts, leakages or rods were found when the exterior surface examination of the engine was conducted.
A completed NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) was not received from the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N543FH
- Reported as
- Fairchild Hiller FH-1100
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 43
- Engine
- unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Rudi Dekkers
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FMY · Fort Myers, FL
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KFMY · Page Field Airport
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
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.39 inHg
- Observed at
- KFMY, 3 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 13, 2004, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 124 KB in all.
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 N543FH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.