Bell 206 N224KM

Summary

On 6 July 2018 at about 22:15 local time, a Bell 206 registered N224KM was involved in an accident near Bentley, Illinois, 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

6 July 2018 at 22:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Bentley, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

40.3300, -91.1800

Aircraft

Bell 206

Registration

N224KM

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bentley → Bentley

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA260

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to ensure that adequate fuel was on board for the maneuvering flight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial helicopter pilot indicated that, about 10 minutes after takeoff, while making a turn during an aerial application flight, he noticed the low fuel pressure light illuminate; the fuel pressure gage indicated 0 psi, and the fuel quantity gage indicated 15 gallons. The engine subsequently lost total power, and the pilot performed an autorotation in preparation for a forced landing, during which the helicopter nosed over and sustained damage to the main and tail rotors. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that the fuel quantity gage read 4 gallons, and the fuel tank contained about 9.5 gallons of fuel. Both fuel boost pumps tested normally. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The helicopter's flight manual stated to land as soon as practical when fuel quantity was less than 20 gallons and contained a warning that uncoordinated turns and maneuvers were to be avoided with a fuel quantity of less than 20 gallons. The manual also stated that, due to possible fuel sloshing in unusual attitudes or out-of-trim conditions and one or both fuel boost pumps inoperative, the unusable fuel was 10 gallons. The turn during spray operations with less than 20 gallons of fuel likely caused the fuel to unport, allowing air into the fuel line. This resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. The pilot did not ensure that adequate fuel was on board for the maneuvering flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.