- Date
- May 22, 1997, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lolo, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N95NWGarlick UH-1H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 10, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970522047969A
- Case key
- 42613
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
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to refuel.
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 reported that his fuel gauge showed 150 lbs of fuel remaining and he decided to move a large stump prior to landing. As he was hovering about 150 feet over the stump waiting for the stump to be hooked up, the helicopter suddenly lost power. He made a tight spiral down to the service landing area, but landed very hard.
Factual narrative
On May 22, 1997, approximately 1130 mountain daylight time, N95NW, a Bell UH-1H, sustained substantial damage when it lost power and landed hard near Lolo, Montana. The commercial pilot was not injured. The flight was conducted in visual meteorological conditions with no flight plan filed. The flight had departed the same area about 1010.
The pilot reported that the fuel gauge showed 150 pounds and he decided to remove a large stump to the slash pile prior to landing. The stump was situated approximately 40 feet from the service landing area. As he was hovering about 150 feet over the stump waiting for the stump to be hooked up, the helicopter suddenly lost power. He made a tight spiral down to the service landing area, but landed very hard. The operator reported no mechanical malfunctions and listed the engine failure as "fuel exhaustion". An FAA inspector who inspected the wreckage, stated that a total of about 1 and 1/2 gal of fuel was drained from the tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N95NW
- Reported as
- Garlick UH-1H
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 65-12871
- Engine
- Lycoming T53-L-13B, 1,400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 133
- Operator
- Northwest Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Reynolds Aviation Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,197 total · 2,613 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.