- Date
- February 23, 1989, 18:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Harding Twnp, NJ
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5754JBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890223002479A
- Case key
- 36383
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 pilots attempt to conduct the flight with less than required fuel resulting in loss of engine power and subsequent damage to the helicopter while performing an autorotative landing.
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
While approaching the arpt the eng began to surge. The plt elected to make a precautionary off aprt landing. During touchdown on a downhill slope from an autorotation, the main rotor contacted the tail boom. Post crash exam of the helicopter revealed the fuel system contained approximately 10 gallons of fuel. The eng was operated with no evidence of failure or malfunction. The plt stated he had departed approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes before the accident. The helicopter had 50 gallons of fuel at departure and according to bell helicopter the helicopter burns 25 gallons per hour. According to a bell helicopter representative, fuel starvation could occur with up to 10 gallons of fuel if the boost pumps are not used.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5754J
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3119
- Airframe hours
- 4,312
- Engine
- Allison A250-C20B, 425 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- Millington Quarry, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Millington Quarry
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 15, 1989 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- York, PA
- Destination
- MMU · Morristown, NJ
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,625 total · 3,800 in this make and model · 5,745 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 30° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.