Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Whiteville, North Carolina 28472
Saturday, January 25, 1997 15:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During an aerial application flight, the low fuel level warning light illuminated. The pilot started his stop watch according to the airplane flight manual and about 6 minutes later while en route to refuel, the engine quit due to fuel exhaustion. While attempting to clear trees below the pilot purposely bleed the main rotor rpm which resulted in a hard landing. Post crash, fuel was added to the fuel tank and the engine was started and found to operate normally. Post accident testing revealed that when all fuel was drained from the full fuel tank the fuel gauge in the cockpit would register full unless the side of the fuel tank was contacted to dislodge the stuck fuel gauge transmitter. The pilot stated that he has brought the stuck fuel transmitter problem to the attention of the operator but review of the maintenance records revealed no record of the transmitter being repaired or replaced. Review of the flight manual revealed that once the low fuel light illuminates, to fly no longer than 10 minutes.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's intentional operation of the helicopter with known deficiencies in equipment and a false indication of the fuel gauge, resulting in the total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was inadequate maintenance of the helicopter by company maintenance personnel, and unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/25/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | WHITEVILLE |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28472 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| 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 | 1453 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 103 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ILM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 33 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 39 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1900 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 19 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 452 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 25 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1612 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:06PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N707EX |
| NTSB Number | MIA97LA075 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Aerospatiale |
| Aircraft Model | SA315B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | SA315B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2430 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5070 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 25 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 12337 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ROBERTS AIRCRAFT COMPANY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3510 KNOX BUTTE RD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | ALBANY |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97321 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | GOLD KIST, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 971 E. GOLDEN RD. |
| Operator City | TIFTON |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 31794 |
| Operator Code | |
| 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 | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| 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 | Cruise |
| 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 | -- |