Hughes 369D N5027P

Summary

On 28 August 1994 at about 18:15 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N5027P was involved in an accident near Butler, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was 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

28 August 1994 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Butler, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Hughes 369D

Registration

N5027P

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gettysburg → New Castle Muni

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO94LA155

Nobody was injured.

The malfunction of the emergency fuel vent and the exhaustion of the fuel supply which resulted in the loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was overflying wooded terrain at 1000 feet msl when the engine lost power. He autorotated to a hilly field and during the landing the rotor blade severed the tailboom. According to the pilot, the fuel low warning light did not activate before the power loss occurred. The examination of the helicopter revealed the fuel tanks were empty and the fuel emergency vent valve had malfunctioned. As a result, the fuel cell decavitated and collasped, holding the fuel quantity probe in a position to indicate a one-quarter tank amount of fuel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.