Blanding City Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Blanding, Utah 83511
Tuesady, October 12, 1982 11:30 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PRIVATE SINGLE-ENGINE PILOT HAD A STUDENT HELICOPTER CERTIFICATE. HE TOOK OFF TO HOVER AND CHECK THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS IN GOOD CONDITION. HE STATED THAT BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE HELICOPTER WAS FUELED WITH A 5 GALLON CAN THAT HAD BEEN PAINTED RED. BEFORE REFUELING, HE RINSED THE CAN AND THEN USED A SPOUT STRAINER TO ADD ABOUT 10 GALLONS OF FUEL. AFTER WARMING THE ENGINE AND TAKING OFF, THE HELICOPTER FLEW ABOUT 50 SECONDS AND THEN THE ENGINE COUGHED AND LOST POWER. AN AUTOROTATION WAS INITIATED FROM ABOUT 50 FT AND 35 MPH. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD, THE ROTOR BLADES FLEXED DOWNWARD AND SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM, A FUEL TANK RUPTURED AND THE HELICOPTER BURNED. DISASSEMBLY OF THE CARBURETOR REVEALED THAT THE MAIN JET WAS BLOCKED. PARTICLES OF RED PAINT (THAT MATCHED THE PAINT ON THE FUEL CAN) WERE FOUND NEAR THE BLOCKAGE. ALSO, THE HELICOPTER HAD LITTLE OR NO USE IN RECENT YEARS. REPORTEDLY, RESIDUAL GUM MAY HAVE ACCUMULATED DURING THE YEARS AND/OR THE FUEL MAY HAVE GUMMED THE RED PAINT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/12/1982
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1130
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City BLANDING
Event State UTAH
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 83511
Event Date Year 1982
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport BLANDING CITY MUNICIPAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID BDG
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 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Unknown
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 50
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 55
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 0
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 340
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 14
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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) 2147
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5316V
NTSB Number DEN83LA007
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name HILLER
Aircraft Model UH-12C
Aircraft Series Identifier UH-12C
Aircraft Serial Number 762
Certified Max Gross Weight 2500
Aircraft Category Helicopter
Aircraft Registration Class Unknown
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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 10
Airframe Hours 1392
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name KENNETH J. DAVIS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 3485 S. AKRON, APT. 82
Aircraft Owner City DENVER
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 80231
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name KENNETH J. DAVIS
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 3485 S. AKRON, APT. 82
Operator City DENVER
Operator State CO
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 80231
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code BDG
Departure City BLANDING
Departure State UT
Departure Country
Departure Time 1128
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code BDG
Destination City BLANDING
Destination State UT
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Sep 18 2002 4:50PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --