- Date
- April 2, 1990, 08:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hillsboro, OR
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9449JBell 47G-3B-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 12, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900402011859A
- Case key
- 41182
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 fuel exhaustion.
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
During an aerial application flight, the pilot reported that during a turn, the engine suddenly quit. The helicopter landed hard on the rough terrain. Post crash inspection revealed that the helicopter contained less than the unusable amount of fuel. There were no reported mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9449J
- Reported as
- Bell 47G-3B-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6719
- Airframe hours
- 7,063
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Western Helicopter Service
- Registered owner
- Western Heicopter Services
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 9, 1990 · 43 hours before
- Departed
- Banks, OR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,369 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 9,369 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 39 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 54 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.