Bell 47G-3B-1 N4002G

Summary

On 17 July 1999 at about 21:30 local time, a Bell 47G-3B-1 registered N4002G was involved in an accident near Sour Lake, Texas, 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

17 July 1999 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Sour Lake, Texas, United States

Coordinates

30.1301, -94.4008

Aircraft

Bell 47G-3B-1

Registration

N4002G

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW99TA194

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to adequately preflight the helicopter's fuel system resulting in the total loss of engine power as a result of water contamination. Factors were the incorrect filter installed on the fueling truck and the pilot's improper touchdown technique.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter lost engine power during takeoff due to contaminated fuel. The commercial helicopter pilot stated that the night before the accident flight, the fueling truck, which contained three tanks (one each for water, chemicals, and fuel), was checked. The pilot stated that the fuel appeared 'normal' that night. The following day, prior to the accident flight, the helicopter was 'refueled without sumping the tanks.' The pilot added that during takeoff, the engine lost power about 50 feet above the ground, at 30 miles per hour. He executed an autorotation to the ground where the main rotor blades impacted the tail boom and the tail rotor blades contacted the ground. The pilot stated that he found 20 gallons of water in the helicopter's fuel tank after the accident. He added that he discovered the fuel truck had a crack in between the water and fuel tanks. Approximately 80 gallons of water had leaked into the truck's fuel tank. The fuel truck was 'supposed to have an aqua stop filter installed that will not pump if water is present but the wrong filter was installed.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.