Bell OH-58A N38FA
18 September 2010 · Covington, Tennessee, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 18 September 2010 at about 20:50 local time, a Bell OH-58A registered N38FA, operated by B & S Air Inc, was involved in an accident near Covington, Tennessee, 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 20:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Covington, Tennessee, United States
- Nearest airport
- Covington Municipal Airport (M04)
- Coordinates
- 35.5519, -89.4411
- Aircraft
- Bell OH-58A
- Registration
- N38FA
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- B & S Air Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Covington → Covington
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA10LA484
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to contamination of the helicopter's fuel supply.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During the initial climb on an aerial application flight, the helicopter's engine lost power while at 30 feet above ground level and in translational lift. The pilot stated that the engine began surging and the helicopter began losing altitude and impacted the ground. A postaccident examination of the helicopter's fuel system by the owner revealed particulate matter in the fuel nozzle. When the nozzle was examined by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) it had no carbon deposits, indicating that it had been cleaned prior to shipment. An examination of the fuel nozzle after a postaccident engine run revealed carbon deposits on the surface. The engine was then placed in an engine test cell and operated normally with no hesitation or abnormalities noted. The NTSB's materials laboratory determined the particulate matter to be torque stripe material. Although it could not be determined where the particulate matter came from, it is likely that it restricted the fuel supply to the engine and resulted in the loss of power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Bell OH-58A accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 2010 | Bell OH-58A | Taylorsville, Mississippi, United States | Cahaba Forestry Services | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Jul 2010 | Bell OH-58A | Roswell, New Mexico, United States | North Star Helicopters Inc | No injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 2009 | Bell OH-58A | Ocala, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Apr 2009 | Bell OH-58A | Arvin, California, United States | San Joaquin Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 29 May 2011 | Bell OH-58A | Ft. Pierce, Florida, United States | St Lucie Cnty Sheriffs Office | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Mar 2012 | Bell OH-58A | Eufaula, Alabama, United States | B & S Air Inc | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Jul 2010 | Cessna 150M | Knoxville, Tennessee, United States | East Tennessee Pilots Club | No injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 2010 | Yeager LANCAIR | McMinnville, Tennessee, United States | Donald Yeager | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jul 2010 | Garlick OH-58A+ | Newport, Tennessee, United States | B & S Air Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 2010 | Rolladen-Schneider LS-4 | Jasper, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jun 2010 | Aeronca 7BCM | Bolivar, Tennessee, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Jun 2010 | Cessna 150G | Jasper, Tennessee, United States | - | No injuries | - |