# NTSB MIA04LA129: Bell 206B3, N96PH, Starkville, MS, September 25, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 25, 2004, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC) - Place: Starkville, MS - Coordinates: 33.166667, -88.800003 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1667&lon=-88.8000&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed, report September 13, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 60239 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA04LA129 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60239/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA04LA129 ## 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 In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - normal - fuel system - contamination - maintenance,inspection - inadequate, company maintenance personnel (cause) - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - blocked(total) - fluid,fuel - starvation - Forced landing, descent - emergency - autorotation - Hard landing, emergency descent/landing ## 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](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N96PH-2013-06-05), registration cancelled 2013-06-05, S/N 3094, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Bell 206B3 - Registry model: [Bell 206B](https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-206b) (registry code 1181511) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Allison 250-C20 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (registry code 03020, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 3094 - Airframe hours: 10604 - Engines: 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 ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; injuries: minor; 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20040925025079A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040925025079A), Sep 25, 2004: Bell 206B, Starkville, MS, Substantial damage. (-23) Fuel contamination in airframe fuel filter as well as in fuel filter and engine driven fuel pump filter. The fuel control filter was partially clogged as… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.