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A helicopter pilot runs out of gas while in a hover. Conducted an autorotation to a hard landing damaging the helicopter.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 336026 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199605 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : cez |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 100 agl bound upper : 100 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : lax |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Bell 47 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing other other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 75 |
| ASRS Report | 336026 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While performing ground crew training I depleted all available fuel. Engine quit and I performed a 100 ft oge hovering autorotation to ground. Hard landing resulted in bent rear xtube to bell 47/soloy xtube (landing gear). No personal injuries. I had visually inspected fuel level prior to takeoff and was managing time available but underestimated the fuel burn rate. At the time the engine ran out of fuel I still estimated 20 mins of flight time available. Corrective action of better estimating fuel burn and available reserves to known quantity will eliminate myself from repeating this incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A HELI PLT RUNS OUT OF GAS WHILE IN A HOVER. CONDUCTED AN AUTOROTATION TO A HARD LNDG DAMAGING THE HELI.
Narrative: WHILE PERFORMING GND CREW TRAINING I DEPLETED ALL AVAILABLE FUEL. ENG QUIT AND I PERFORMED A 100 FT OGE HOVERING AUTOROTATION TO GND. HARD LNDG RESULTED IN BENT REAR XTUBE TO BELL 47/SOLOY XTUBE (LNDG GEAR). NO PERSONAL INJURIES. I HAD VISUALLY INSPECTED FUEL LEVEL PRIOR TO TKOF AND WAS MANAGING TIME AVAILABLE BUT UNDERESTIMATED THE FUEL BURN RATE. AT THE TIME THE ENG RAN OUT OF FUEL I STILL ESTIMATED 20 MINS OF FLT TIME AVAILABLE. CORRECTIVE ACTION OF BETTER ESTIMATING FUEL BURN AND AVAILABLE RESERVES TO KNOWN QUANTITY WILL ELIMINATE MYSELF FROM REPEATING THIS INCIDENT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.