Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
West Helena, Arkansas 72342
Wednesday, June 22, 1994 15:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING INITIAL CLIMB FOLLOWING TAKEOFF, ON AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A DOWNWIND AUTOROTATION TO A LEVY AND THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD. A POSTIMPACT FIRE OCCURRED WHICH DESTROYED THE HELICOPTER. POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHICH BURNED A HOLE IN THE MAIN FUEL LINE. A MECHANIC HAD RECOMMENDED THAT THE PILOT CHANGE THE ROUTING OF THE FUEL/ELECTRICAL LINES.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER DUE TO A LEAK IN THE MAIN FUEL LINE WHICH OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHICH BURNED A HOLE IN THE FUEL LINE. FACTORS WERE A FAILURE BY THE PILOT TO PERFORM RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/22/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | WEST HELENA |
| Event State | ARKANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 72342 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1505 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MEM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 332 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 9 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 21 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 17 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 23 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1500 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1013 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 23 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1059 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N90453 |
| NTSB Number | FTW94LA210 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | HILLER |
| Aircraft Model | UH-12L4 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | UH-12L4 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2503 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3500 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 20 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | 1800 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MCDOWELL, KENNETH T. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | R3 BOX 341 |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHARLESTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | MO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 63834 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | RFEG |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1530 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |