Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Hamilton Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hamilton, Montana 59840
Monday, July 1, 2013 11:00 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that, about 20 minutes after departure, the helicopter lost all engine power during cruise flight. The pilot performed an autorotation into a small forest clearing. During the landing sequence, the helicopter sustained substantial damage. Examination of the engine revealed that the pneumatic fuel controller (P2) pipe that delivered air pressure from the centrifugal compressor to the fuel control unit (FCU) had separated at the FCU fitting. The P2 pipe’s failure allowed ambient air pressure to enter the line and resulted in the FCU commanding the engine to spool down to ground idle speed. The pipe exhibited deformation due to bending damage and signatures indicating that it was making contact with its union fitting at the FCU. The P2 pipe was a thin-walled type, which the engine manufacturer had recommended be replaced with a thicker version 29 years previously. Further, the engine manufacturer had issued multiple service letters advising maintenance personnel of the correct procedures for fitting, inspecting, and maintaining such air lines. The pipe’s fracture surfaces at the separation point exhibited signatures consistent with fatigue as a result of noncompliance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of engine power during cruise flight due to the fatigue failure of a pneumatic fuel controller pipe. Also causal was maintenance personnel’s failure to adequately maintain the pipe and replace it with a thicker type.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/1/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1100 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Hamilton |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59840 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 461454N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1135139W |
| Event Location Airport | Hamilton |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 6S5 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 15 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | 3642 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1053 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 350 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KMSO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3206 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 41 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| 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) | 30.16 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KMSO 011653Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 26/14 A3016 RM |
| 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) | 33150 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NW FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 29 2014 2:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | sime1 |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N989WC |
| NTSB Number | WPR13LA302 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | S.N.I.A.S. |
| Aircraft Model | AS-350B ECUREUIL |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1923 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4300 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 30 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 59 |
| Airframe Hours | 10000 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | C126 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HAT CREEK HELICOPTERS LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | STEVENSVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | MT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 59870-6604 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Wade S Richardson |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | STEVENSVILLE |
| Operator State | MT |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 59870 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 6S5 |
| Departure City | Hamilton |
| Departure State | MT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1040 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | U05 |
| Destination City | Philipsburg |
| Destination State | MT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 29 2014 2:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | sime1 |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |