Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Dayton, Washington 98563
Friday, March 8, 2002 14:55 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot of the UH-1H rotorcraft had completed a fertilizer drop and was returning to the servicing area for fuel with the empty, 300 pound bucket attached by a 30 foot line. While approximately 300 feet above ground, he heard a series of loud reports coming from the engine, the rotorcraft yawed and the low RPM audio warning sounded. The pilot lowered collective and then maneuvered the rotorcraft towards an area of smaller trees. He then jettisoned the empty bucket and executed a hard auto-rotation landing on a road striking trees in the process. Post crash examination revealed approximately 30 gallons(~210 pounds) of fuel in the fuel tanks. The pilot reported that the rotorcraft was equipped with a low fuel warning system, which included an annunciator light that illuminated with approximately 170 pounds of fuel remaining, and that the annunciator light normally illuminated when the rotorcraft was flying with a load due to adverse operating angles. Once the rotorcraft's load was released and the rotorcraft returned to a level attitude, the light extinguished. He reported that the light is designed to provide a 20 minute warning before fuel is exhausted. He also remarked that the system was operating normally prior to the accident and that during the return flight after the last fertilizer drop, the light remained illuminated. The rotorcraft's Lycoming/Honeywell T53-L13B turboshaft engine was examined and no mechanical malfunction of the engine was found. The fuel system and its indicating system was examined with no discrepancy noted and fuel was found at the fuel control filter. The fuel control was examined and bench checked at the facilities of B.F. Goodrich, Pump & Engine Control Systems and no significant anomalies were noted during the examination and testing.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of power for undetermined reason(s). Contributing factors were the pilot's delayed decision to jettison the empty bucket and the trees impacted during the auto-rotation landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/8/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1455 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Dayton |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98563 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 471605N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1231315W |
| 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 | 1454 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 125 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OLM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 206 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 22 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.21 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12878 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SEA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 8 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1546 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 15 2003 4:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Renton FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N116DR |
| NTSB Number | SEA02LA051 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 137: Agricultural |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell/Garlick |
| Aircraft Model | UH-1H |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 66-16949 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 9500 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 27 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 25 |
| Airframe Hours | 10128 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Northwest Helicopters, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7822 Highway 99 SE |
| Aircraft Owner City | Olympia |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98501 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | WYFL |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Agriculture |
| 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) | Aerial Application |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Dayton |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| 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? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 2 2002 2:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |