- Date
- June 10, 2010, 20:30 local (Jun 11, 2010, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Los Banos, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N38110Texas Helicopter OH-13E/M74
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA Fresno FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100610005279A
- Case key
- 76297
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
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot's failure to verify the fuel quantity onboard.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during an aerial application flight he lined up for a downwind spray pass at an approximate height of three feet above the crop. During the pass the engine sputtered and died. He entered an auto-rotation and attempted to slow the aircraft down from 50 MPH. The aircraft subsequently impacted terrain and came to rest on its side. The pilot noted that the helicopter was refueled for the second time during the job about an hour prior to the accident. An FAA Inspector's report noted that the helicopter was not refueled to its proper quantity, causing the pilot to miscalculate the fuel on-board. Post impact inspection of the aircraft revealed an estimated two gallons or less of fuel in the tank, and that there were no ruptures in the fuel tank. During the on-scene inspection there was no odor of fuel at the accident site. Post-recovery engine tests revealed that the engine operated without any significant issues and fuel contamination was ruled out.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during an aerial application flight he lined up for a downwind spray pass at an approximate height of three feet above the crop. During the pass the engine sputtered and died. He entered an auto-rotation and attempted to slow the aircraft down from 50 MPH. The aircraft subsequently impacted terrain and came to rest on its side. The pilot noted that the helicopter was refueled for the second time during the job about an hour prior to the accident. An FAA Inspector's report noted that the helicopter was not refueled to its proper quantity, causing the pilot to miscalculate the fuel on-board. Post impact inspection of the aircraft revealed an estimated two gallons or less of fuel in the tank, and that there were no ruptures in the fuel tank. During the on-scene inspection there was no odor of fuel at the accident site. Post-recovery engine tests revealed that the engine operated without any significant issues and fuel contamination was ruled out.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38110
- Reported as
- Texas Helicopter OH-13E/M74
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 77-010
- Airframe hours
- 8,188
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435A1F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Bettencourt Flying Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Bettencourt Flying Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 20, 2010
- Departed
- Atwater, CA
- Destination
- Los Banos, CA
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 31, 2009
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 18,115 total · 2,100 in this make and model · 17,961 as pilot in command · 77 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 310° at 7 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
- Observed at
- 8 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 21, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB in all.
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 N38110 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.