- Date
- September 25, 2004, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Starkville, MS
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N96PHBell 206B3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040925025079A
- Case key
- 60239
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 operator's inadequate maintenance inspections and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in the helicopter being operated with a contaminated fuel system, that resulted in fuel starvation, 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 pilot stated that he was en route, at an altitude of about 100 feet AGL, when all of a sudden he saw the low engine rpm light illuminate, and heard the associated audible alarm as the engine ceased operating. He said he immediately lowered the collective and raised the nose of the helicopter to regain rotor rpm, and made a hard autorotative landing to a clearing. An FAA inspector who responded to the accident scene stated that during the course of the postcrash examination he found fuel in the fuel tank. and upon further examination, found that the fuel filter was found to contain "50 percent dark colored water and trash", According to the inspector, dark water was found in the fuel pump filter, and the fuel tank, and in addition, the fuel control filter and fuel nozzle filter was partially clogged. Laboratory analysis of samples of fuel found in the accident helicopter confirmed the presence of particulate matter and water in the samples. According to the laboratory report, the particulate matter was determined to be microbiological growth that was resident in the fuel.
Factual narrative
On September 25, 2004, about 1730 central daylight time, a Bell 206B3 helicopter, N96PH, registered to and operated by Provine Helicopter Service Inc., as Title 14 CFR part 137 aerial application flight, made a forced landing in the vicinity of Starkville, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The commercial-rated pilot received minor injuries, and the helicopter incurred substantial damage. The flight originated in Starkville, Mississippi, the same day, about 1725.
The pilot stated that he had just emptied the spray tank in a remote area where he was spraying timber, and was proceeding to the staging area to refill, when the accident occurred. He further stated that he was en route, at an altitude of about 100 feet AGL, when all of a sudden he saw the low engine rpm light illuminate, and heard the associated audible alarm as the engine ceased operating. He said he immediately lowered the collective and raised the nose of the helicopter to regain rotor rpm, and at that time he saw a clearing directly in front of the helicopter. He said he was about 50 feet AGL when he saw the clearing, and he flared to slow forward movement, leveled the helicopter, and raised collective. The helicopter landed hard in the cleared area, incurring substantial damage.
An FAA inspector who responded to the accident scene stated that during the course of the postcrash examination he found fuel in the fuel tank, and the tank had was ruptured during the crash. The inspector further stated that upon further examination, he found that the fuel filter was found to contain "50 percent dark colored water and trash", According to the inspector, dark water was found in the fuel pump filter, and the fuel tank, and in addition, the fuel control filter and fuel nozzle filter was partially clogged.
Laboratory analysis of samples of fuel found in the accident helicopter confirmed the presence of particulate matter and water in the samples. According to the laboratory report, the particulate matter was determined to be microbiological growth that was resident in the fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N96PH
- Reported as
- Bell 206B3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3094
- Airframe hours
- 10,604
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Provine Helicopter Service Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 1, 2004 · 97 hours before
- Departed
- Starkville, MS
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
- 49
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2004
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 7,500 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- GTR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.