- Date
- November 16, 1996, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Forks, WA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5225CHughes 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 21, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961116045399A
- Case key
- 42544
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
fuel contamination, which resulted in loss of engine power. Factors relating to the accident included: improper servicing of the helicopter, and a lack of suitable terrain for an emergency landing due to the proximity of trees.
Analysis
The helicopter lost engine power during an external load/logging operation, then it sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees during an emergency landing. Investigation revealed that fuel contamination disrupted the flow of fuel from the engine fuel nozzle(s). Test samples from the fuel supplier, storage tank, and the helicopter's fuel filter were provided by the operator to an independent laboratory. Testing showed that the fuel supplier's sample was free of contamination, but contamination was found in samples from the storage tank and the helicopter fuel filter.
Factual narrative
On November 16, 1996, approximately 1500 Pacific standard time, a McDonnell Douglas 369D helicopter, N5225C, sustained substantial damage when it landed in trees after a loss of engine power. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured. The aircraft was involved in external load operations near Forks, Washington. No flight plan was filed for the local flight, which was conducted in visual meteorological conditions. The ELT did not actuate.
According to FAA inspectors and manufacturer's representatives, the engine fuel nozzle collapsed from contamination of fuel. According to the operator, the contaminant was preliminarily identified as sugar/starch, possibly carboxymethyl cellulose. The operator contracted with Pacific Testing Laboratories to test samples from the fuel supplier, from the storage tank, and the helicopter's fuel filter. The testing found the fuel supplier's sample to be free of contamination, but found similar contamination in the storage tank and the helicopter fuel filter.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5225C
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 590497D
- Airframe hours
- 10,667
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 133
- Registered owner
- Eagle Air Helicopters,Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 9, 1996 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- WA
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 18,610 total · 5,825 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5225C · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.