Bell 206L-3 N3174S

Summary

On 2 November 1989 at about 10:36 local time, a Bell 206L-3 registered N3174S, operated by Air Methods, Inc., was involved in an accident near Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 November 1989 at 10:36

Classification

Accident

Location

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Holman Fld (STP)

Coordinates

44.9504, -93.0894

Aircraft

Bell 206L-3

Registration

N3174S

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Air Methods, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Minneapolis → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

MKC90LA021

Nobody was injured.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL. DARKNESS WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DRG AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SVC (EMS/MEDEVAC) FLT, THE PLT ENCTRD STRONGER HEADWINDS THAN EXPECTED. AFTER DELIVERING A PATIENT, HE ESTIMATED 12 MIN OF FUEL WAS REMAINING. SINCE THE FLT TO HIS HOME BASE WOULD TAKE ABOUT 6 MIN, HE ELECTED TO RETURN WITHOUT REFUELING. WHILE ARRIVING ABEAM OF HIS DESTN, A FUEL BOOST PUMP LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE PLT SAID HE EXPEDITED HIS APCH, BUT AT ABOUT 50' AGL, A 2ND BOOST PUMP LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE ENG THEN LOST POWER FROM FUEL EXHAUSTION. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE HELICOPTER WAS DAMAGED DRG AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION (AT NIGHT).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.