- Date
- July 27, 1991, 09:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Westfield, MA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N62246Hiller UH-12B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910727030319A
- Case key
- 36972
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 pilot's failure to refuel resulting in a power failure due to fuel exhaustion, and subsequent forced landing in unsuitable terrain.
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 calculated he had over 2 hours of fuel for the final leg of the flight. He found he was off course to the west, so he landed the helicopter to find his position, without shutting down the engine. He took off heading east and had to land again to get his position, this time shutting the engine off. He was 5 miles south of his intended landing airport. The pilot said at this point he had about 4 gallons of fuel. While on approach to the airport the engine failed and he made a forced landing in a cemetery. He landed short of his intended landing area and impacted with a head stone.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N62246
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 343
- Engine
- Franklin 6V-335, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James T. Kilbridge
- Registered owner
- James T. Kilbridge
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- 10N · Walkill, NY
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
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 196 total · 188 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.