Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Merritt Island Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Merritt Island, Florida 32952
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 18:10 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that, during the initial climb, when the helicopter was about 75 feet above ground level, he heard a “pop” noise, and the engine then lost total power. The pilot performed an autorotation, and the helicopter subsequently landed hard on a taxiway. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that the fuel supply line from the gascolator to the mechanical fuel pump was not attached and that the fuel supply line and fitting were broken where they attached to the gascolator. Examination determined that the fuel fitting separated due to overstress. It is likely that, when the fuel supply line fitting broke off of the gascolator, it resulted in a loss of fuel supply to the engine, subsequent fuel starvation, and a total loss of engine power.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from an overstress failure of a fitting on the fuel supply line and led to an autorotation and hard landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/6/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1810 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Merritt Island |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32952 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 282029N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0804107W |
| Event Location Airport | Merritt Island Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | COI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 6 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1755 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 125 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | COF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 8 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| 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) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.1 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 33289 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 7 2014 1:19PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5072R |
| NTSB Number | ERA13LA127 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | HILLER |
| Aircraft Model | UH-12B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 613 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2700 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3072 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HOWE ENTERPRISES LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | PUNTA GORDA |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33982-9506 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Florida Biplane |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Merritt Island |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32952 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | COI |
| Departure City | Merritt Island |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1810 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | COI |
| Destination City | Merritt Island |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 7 2014 1:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 11 |
| Runway Length | 3601 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |