- Date
- November 2, 1989, 04:36 local (10:36 UTC)
- Place
- Saint Paul, MN
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3174SBell 206L-3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 13, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891102044389A
- Case key
- 34904
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot, which resulted in fuel exhaustion due to an inadequate supply of fuel. Darkness was a related factor.
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
Drg an emergency medical svc (ems/medevac) flt, the plt enctrd stronger headwinds than expected. After delivering a patient, he estimated 12 min of fuel was remaining. Since the flt to his home base would take about 6 min, he elected to return without refueling. While arriving abeam of his destn, a fuel boost pump light illuminated. The plt said he expedited his apch, but at about 50' AGL, a 2nd boost pump light illuminated. The eng then lost power from fuel exhaustion. Subsequently, the helicopter was damaged drg an emergency autorotation (at night).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3174S
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-3
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 51036
- Airframe hours
- 3,207
- Engine
- Allison 250-C30B, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Methods, Inc., doing business as Life Link 3
- Registered owner
- Air Methods Corp International
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 21, 1989 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- MY65 · Minneapolis, MN
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- STP · Holman Fld, runway 27, 3,642 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,436 total · 1,435 in this make and model · 4,063 as pilot in command · 74 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 300° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSP, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.