Bell OH-13E N39WL
3 July 1994 · Mountain View, Arkansas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 3 July 1994 at about 15:50 local time, a Bell OH-13E registered N39WL was involved in an accident near Mountain View, Arkansas, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 15:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Mountain View, Arkansas, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.8697, -92.1106
- Aircraft
- Bell OH-13E
- Registration
- N39WL
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- No. Little Rock → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW94LA221
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
THE FUEL EXHAUSTION AS RESULT OF A STRUCK FUEL DRAIN VALVE. FACTORS WERE THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, AND THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN AT THE PILOT'S DISPOSAL FOR THE FORCED LANDING.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A HELICOPTER WITH A 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTE RANGE DEPARTED WITH A FULL TANK OF FUEL ON A PERSONAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. A POWER LOSS OCCURRED SHORT OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, 65 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE. AN AUTOROTATION WAS INITIATED TO A CLEARING IN A ROCK PIT. THE PILOT ALLOWED THE ROTOR RPM TO DECAY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLEAR A FENCE ACROSS HIS TOUCHDOWN AREA. DURING LANDING, A MAIN ROTOR BLADE MADE CONTACT WITH THE TAILBOOM. DEBRIS WAS FOUND BLOCKING THE FUEL DRAIN VALVE FOR THE FUEL TANK IN THE OPEN POSITION, ALLOWING FUEL TO DRAIN WHILE EN ROUTE. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS 2,200 FEET.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell OH-13E accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 May 1985 | Bell OH-13E | Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 May 1978 | Bell OH-13E | Fisher, Arkansas, United States | Southern Aviat | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Feb 1994 | Cessna 175 | Paris, Arkansas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Feb 1994 | Cessna 172N | Georgetown, Arkansas, United States | McGuire, Eric A. | No injuries | - |
| 19 Feb 1994 | Noble QUICKIE Q-200 | N. Little Rock, Arkansas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Feb 1994 | Air Tractor AT400 | Widener, Arkansas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Feb 1994 | Grumman G-164 | Almyra, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 1994 | Grumman G-164B | Hamburg, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |