- Date
- July 28, 2021, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mountain Home, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N46MUEnstrom F-28A
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20210728012049A
- Case key
- 103577
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 improper fuel planning and improper in-flight decision-making, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent hard landing on uneven terrain.
Findings · 5
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, while the helicopter was in the hanger, he put 4 gallons of fuel into the left fuel tank. He then intended to hover taxi to the fuel island for fuel. He observed people and an aircraft near the fuel island, and he hover taxied to a dirt area. While about 12-15 ft above ground level, the engine had a complete loss of power. He further reported that he was too low to autorotate, landed hard on uneven terrain and collapsed the left skid. An inspection revealed that both fuel tanks were empty. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and main rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46MU
- Reported as
- Enstrom F-28A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 253
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 3,907
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-C1A, 205 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Holmes, Robert Theodore
- Registered owner
- Holmes, Robert Theodore
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 23, 2020 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- U76 · Mountain Home, ID
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- U76 · Mountain Home Municipal Airport
- Equipment
- None
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 25, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 5 in this make and model · 2,885 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KMUO, 8 nm away
- METAR
- KMUO 281758Z AUTO 32012KT 10SM FEW150 31/08 A3014 RMK AO2 SLP174 T03060077 10306 20231 50005 $
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.