Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Starkville, Mississippi 39759
Saturday, September 25, 2004 17:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that he was en route, at an altitude of about 100 feet AGL, when all of a sudden he saw the low engine rpm light illuminate, and heard the associated audible alarm as the engine ceased operating. He said he immediately lowered the collective and raised the nose of the helicopter to regain rotor rpm, and made a hard autorotative landing to a clearing. An FAA inspector who responded to the accident scene stated that during the course of the postcrash examination he found fuel in the fuel tank. and upon further examination, found that the fuel filter was found to contain "50 percent dark colored water and trash", According to the inspector, dark water was found in the fuel pump filter, and the fuel tank, and in addition, the fuel control filter and fuel nozzle filter was partially clogged. Laboratory analysis of samples of fuel found in the accident helicopter confirmed the presence of particulate matter and water in the samples. According to the laboratory report, the particulate matter was determined to be microbiological growth that was resident in the fuel.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The operator's inadequate maintenance inspections and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in the helicopter being operated with a contaminated fuel system, that resulted in fuel starvation, and the loss of engine power.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/25/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1730 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Starkville |
| Event State | MISSISSIPPI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 39759 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 331000N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0884800W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1715 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GTR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| 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) | 30.01 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 18318 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ATL Comm. Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 25 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2305 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 13 2005 12:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Jackson, Mississippi |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N96PH |
| NTSB Number | MIA04LA129 |
| 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 |
| Aircraft Model | 206B3 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3094 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 97 |
| Airframe Hours | 10604 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Provine Helicopter Service Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | Rt 1, Box 470 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Greenwood |
| Aircraft Owner State | MS |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 38930 |
| 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 | ZMPG |
| 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 | Starkville |
| Departure State | MS |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1725 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| 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 - normal |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 6 2005 9:47AM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |