- Date
- October 16, 1988, 01:20 local (05:20 UTC)
- Place
- Wallingford, CT
- Injuries
- 2 serious, 3 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N555GCBell 206L-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881016048759A
- Case key
- 36253
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 acft lost power and crashed in a tractor trailer parking lot, destroying the helicopter and causing serious injuries to the pilot and one passenger. The investigation revealed an improper fuel flow switch, which had no check valve protection installed on system no 1. The FAA certification branch (ASW-170) stated that if the wrong fuel flow switch is used and the boost pump circuit breakers are pulled, a flameout is likely. The pilot said he pulled the master caution breaker and may have pulled the boost pump breakers 'preparing for landing'. The fuel boost pump circuit breakers were pulled and there were approximately 27 gal of fuel remaining, when the engine quit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N555GC
- Reported as
- Bell 206L-1
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 45317
- Airframe hours
- 1,414
- Engine
- Allison 250-C28B, 500 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Wico Aviation, Inc., doing business as Same
- Registered owner
- Pine Crest Construction Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 27, 1988 · 54 hours before
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- MMK · Meriden Markham
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
- 61
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 5,052 total · 128 in this make and model · 4,415 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 34 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.