Gray Jim Robert EXEC N716JB
17 December 2017 · Caldwell, Idaho, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 17 December 2017 at about 20:00 local time, a Gray Jim Robert EXEC registered N716JB was involved in an accident near Caldwell, Idaho, 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 20:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Caldwell, Idaho, United States
- Nearest airport
- Caldwell Industrial (EUL)
- Coordinates
- 43.6419, -116.6358
- Aircraft
- Gray Jim Robert EXEC
- Registration
- N716JB
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1998
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Caldwell → Caldwell
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR18LA050
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
Failure of the oil pressure gauge line, which resulted in oil exhaustion and a total loss of engine power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The private pilot was performing hover-taxi maneuvers in the experimental amateur-built helicopter when the engine lost all power, which resulted in a forced landing in a field during which the airplane landed hard. Postaccident examination revealed that the engine had seized due to oil exhaustion after the oil pressure gauge line had failed, causing most of the engine oil to be expelled overboard with an insufficient quantity of oil in the sump for engine operation. The pilot, who was also the helicopter builder, had installed the oil pressure gauge line, which was made of automotive-grade nylon tubing, about 1 year before the accident. Because the helicopter had an experimental airworthiness certificate and was considered to be an amateur-built aircraft, the pilot could use non-aviation grade components. The pilot discarded the oil line before it could be examined, so its failure mode could not be determined.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Gray Jim Robert EXEC accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 2016 | Gray Jim Robert EXEC 90 | Caldwell, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 May 2017 | Piper PA 18A | Coeur D'alene, Idaho, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Aug 2017 | Champion 7ACA | Nampa, Idaho, United States | William Snethen | No injuries | - |
| 6 Aug 2017 | Lockheed P2V 5F | Pocatello, Idaho, United States | Neptune Aviation Services Inc | No injuries | - |
| 4 Aug 2017 | Rans S9 | Athol, Idaho, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Mar 2017 | Swearingen SA226 | Boise, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Mar 2017 | Cessna 182 | Mackay, Idaho, United States | Avcenter Inc. | Minor injuries | - |