Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Holman Fld Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101
Thursday, November 2, 1989 4:36 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DRG AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SVC (EMS/MEDEVAC) FLT, THE PLT ENCTRD STRONGER HEADWINDS THAN EXPECTED. AFTER DELIVERING A PATIENT, HE ESTIMATED 12 MIN OF FUEL WAS REMAINING. SINCE THE FLT TO HIS HOME BASE WOULD TAKE ABOUT 6 MIN, HE ELECTED TO RETURN WITHOUT REFUELING. WHILE ARRIVING ABEAM OF HIS DESTN, A FUEL BOOST PUMP LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE PLT SAID HE EXPEDITED HIS APCH, BUT AT ABOUT 50' AGL, A 2ND BOOST PUMP LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE ENG THEN LOST POWER FROM FUEL EXHAUSTION. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER WAS DAMAGED DRG AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION (AT NIGHT).
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL. DARKNESS WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/2/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 436 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | SAINT PAUL |
| Event State | MINNESOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 55101 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | HOLMAN FLD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | STP |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 704 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 452 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 240 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MSP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 841 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1578 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 2 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1330 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40464 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 1:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3174S |
| NTSB Number | MKC90LA021 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206L-3 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 206L-3 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 51036 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4150 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 21 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 13 |
| Airframe Hours | 3207 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AIR METHODS CORP INTERNATIONAL |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 4114 |
| Aircraft Owner City | ENGLEWOOD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80112 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AIR METHODS, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | PO BOX 4114 |
| Operator City | ENGLEWOOD |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 80155 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MY65 |
| Departure City | MINNEAPOLIS |
| Departure State | MN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 429 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 27 |
| Runway Length | 200 |
| Runway Width | 300 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | Yes |
| Medical Flight | -- |