- Date
- December 17, 1998, 15:59 local (23:59 UTC)
- Place
- Wenatchee, WA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N893FWHiller UH-12E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 11, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981217033619A
- Case key
- 45839
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 accomplish refueling.
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 game survey flight had departed Wenatchee about 2.5 hours before the accident. The pilot had planned on landing at Brewster, Washington, where a truck was located for refueling during the survey flight. Weather at the refueling site precluded landing, so the pilot had elected to return to Wenatchee. He experienced a loss of engine power and autorotated to the surface one mile northwest of Wenatchee, Washington. Immediately before the loss of power, he noted a low fuel-pressure light. He stated to FAA inspectors that he had sustained fuel exhaustion.
Factual narrative
On December 17, 1998, at 1559 Pacific standard time, a Hiller UH-12E, N893FW, experienced a loss of engine power and autorotated to the surface one mile northwest of Wenatchee, Washington. The commercial pilot and his two passengers were uninjured, but the helicopter sustained substantial damage. No flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR 91 game survey flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot disabled the ELT immediately after the impact.
The flight had departed Wenatchee about 2.5 hours before the accident. The pilot had planned on landing at Brewster, Washington, where a truck was located for refueling during the survey flight. Weather at the refueling site precluded landing, so the pilot had elected to return to Wenatchee. Immediately before the loss of power, the pilot noted a low fuel-pressure light. The pilot stated to FAA inspectors that he had sustained fuel exhaustion.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N893FW
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 5085
- Airframe hours
- 3,204
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-C2A, 309 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Falcon West Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 30, 1998 · 19 hours before
- Departed
- EAT
- Destination
- Brewster, 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
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 9,750 total · 95 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.