Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Bettles Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bettles, Alaska 99726
Saturday, August 13, 1983 10:35 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THE LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN THE FUEL GAGE WAS INDICATING 200 LBS. HE REPORTED HE COULD SEE THE ARPT LIGHTS & ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT. AFTER ARRIVING, HE TERMINATED HIS APCH TO A 30 TO 50 FT HOVER WITH NO FORWARD SPEED. AS HE APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC TO HOVER TO THE REFUELING AREA, THE ENG FLAMED OUT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD & THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM. AN EXAM REVEAL THERE WAS ENOUGH FUEL REMAINING IN THE MAIN CELL FOR APRX 20 MIN OF FLT. DISASSEMBLY OF THE SYS REVEALED THAT DEBRIS (DIRT & ZINC CHROMATE PAINT CHIPS) WAS IN THE FILTERS. THE FILTER SCREEN HAD OPENINGS OF .020 INCH. PARTICLES WERE FOUND IN THE FLOW SWITCHES. HOWEVER, THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE FLOW SWITCH PLUNGER & THE WALL OF THE CASING WAS ONLY .012 INCH. EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO INDICATE THIS RENDERED A FLOW SWICH INOPERATIVE SO THAT FUEL WOULD NOT TRANSFER FROM THE MAIN CELL TO THE REAR CELL WHERE IT COULD BE USED BY THE ENG.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/13/1983 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1035 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | BETTLES |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99726 |
| Event Date Year | 1983 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BETTLES |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BTT |
| 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 | 643 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1000 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BTT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 643 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2646 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 22949 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 9:15AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1081K |
| NTSB Number | ANC83FA144 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELL |
| Aircraft Model | 206L-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 206L-1 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 45407 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4250 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 13 1983 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 2 |
| Airframe Hours | 2499 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | OFFSHORE LOGISTIC INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 50 |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAFAYETTE |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70501 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 6601 SOUTH AIRPARK PLACE |
| Operator City | ANCHORAGE |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MTF |
| Departure City | FAIRBANKS |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | BTT |
| Destination City | BETTLES |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 1 |
| Runway Length | 5200 |
| Runway Width | 160 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |