14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, February 06, 2013 in Merritt Island, FL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 11/13/2014
Aircraft: HILLER UH-12B, registration: N5072R
Injuries: 1 Minor, 2 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The pilot reported that, during the initial climb, when the helicopter was about 75 feet above ground level, he heard a “pop” noise, and the engine then lost total power. The pilot performed an autorotation, and the helicopter subsequently landed hard on a taxiway. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that the fuel supply line from the gascolator to the mechanical fuel pump was not attached and that the fuel supply line and fitting were broken where they attached to the gascolator. Examination determined that the fuel fitting separated due to overstress. It is likely that, when the fuel supply line fitting broke off of the gascolator, it resulted in a loss of fuel supply to the engine, subsequent fuel starvation, and a total loss of engine power.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from an overstress failure of a fitting on the fuel supply line and led to an autorotation and hard landing.
On February 6, 2013, about 1810 eastern standard time, a Hiller UH-12B, N5072R, impacted a taxiway after the helicopter experienced a total loss of engine power after takeoff from the Merritt Island Airport (COI), Merritt Island, Florida. One passenger sustained minor injuries, and the commercial pilot and another passenger were not injured. The helicopter was owned by a corporation and operated by Florida Biplanes under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a sightseeing flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.
According to the pilot, he performed a preflight and engine run up with no anomalies noted. In addition, he performed five sightseeing flights prior to the accident flight. On the sixth flight, during the initial climb, about 75 feet above ground level, the pilot heard a "pop" noise just prior to the loss of engine power. He performed an autorotation and the helicopter impacted a taxiway.
A postaccident examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the helicopter incurred substantial damage to the engine mounts, main rotor blades, tail rotor, and tail boom. The inspector disconnected the fuel supply line from the electric fuel pump to the carburetor and operated the fuel pump; however, no fuel was observed in the fuel line. He disconnected the fuel supply line from the gascolator to the electric fuel pump and noted no fuel in the supply line and removed the fuel filter and examined it with no debris or obstructions noted. He verified fuel was in the gascolator drain. The inspector then discovered the fuel supply line from the gascolator to the mechanical fuel pump was not attached and that the fuel supply line and fitting was broken where it attached to the gascolator. The fuel fitting was inspected by the NTSB materials laboratory in Washington, D. C. Microscopic analysis of the part revealed that both ends of the fitting failed due to overstress.
According to the helicopter maintenance records, the most recent annual inspection was performed on May 1, 2012. At that time, the helicopter had a total tachometer time of 75.2 hours. At the time of the accident, the tachometer indicated 114.6 hours. According to the Hiller Helicopters Model UH-12B Flight Manual, the fuel system consists of a fuel tank, an engine-driven fuel pump, an electrical auxiliary fuel pump, a fuel quantity gauge, strainer, shut-off valve, and the necessary lines and fittings.
http://registry.faa.gov/N5072R
NTSB Identification: ERA13LA127
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, February 06, 2013 in Merritt Island, FL
Aircraft: HILLER UH-12B, registration: N5072R
Injuries: 1 Minor,2 Uninjured.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On February 6, 2013, about 1810 eastern standard time, a Hiller UH-12B, N5072R, impacted a taxiway after the helicopter experienced a total loss of engine power after takeoff from the Merritt Island Airport (COI), Merritt Island, Florida. One passenger sustained minor injuries, and the commercial pilot and another passenger were not injured. The helicopter was owned by a corporation and operated by Florida Biplanes under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a sightseeing flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.
According to witnesses, the helicopter took off and climbed about 70 feet above ground level where the helicopter lost engine power. According to the pilot, he heard a “pop” noise just prior to the loss of engine power. He performed an autorotation and the helicopter impacted a taxiway.
Initial examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the helicopter incurred substantial damage to the tail rotor and tail boom.
The engine was retained for further examination.
Raw video shows a helicopter in flight moments before crashing on taxiway at Merritt Island Airport.
The helicopter involved is a Hiller UH-12B, registered to a private individual in Punta Gorda.
Three men escaped serious injury after the helicopter they were flying in crashed at Merritt Island Airport on Wednesday evening, according to Lt. Jeff Taylor of Brevard County Fire Rescue.
When crews arrived to the crash a few minutes after 6:10 p.m., the pilot and his two passengers had exited the 1953 Hiller UH-12B. The pilot said the helicopter had just taken off when it suddenly lost power at about 75 feet off the ground. The aircraft was largely intact after the crash, though it did lose its tail rotor.
Investigators found a small oil leak which firefighters quickly stopped.
One passenger – a man in his 60s – was taken to a nearby hospital to be evaluated. The pilot and second passenger declined to be taken to a hospital.
Story, photo, video: http://www.floridatoday.com
No comments:
Post a Comment