Narrative:

I was flying back from ZZZ with another commercial rated helicopter pilot after completion of aerial photography flight. This flight was conducted under crash fire rescue equipment 14, far 91. At about 10 NM northeast of the field, I saw the low fuel light come on and the helicopter lost complete engine power due to low fuel. We found a suitable landing site. No hard landing was made. Nobody was hurt and there was no damage to the aircraft and other property. After touchdown, fuel gauge was showing around 25-30 pounds. After refueled aircraft, our mechanic checked the aircraft and we determined that this aircraft is safe to fly back to our home base. I made extensive preflight planning for this trip especially fuel flow for every min in the pwred flight confign, including start-ups and shutdowns, in accordance with flight manual. I'd flown the aircraft by time, not for fuel gauges, since I am still new to the aircraft and I could not predict how accurate it is. Therefore, I planned trip with extra margins but it did not work and resulted in a forced landing. This helicopter I was in was originally used by the united states government in the 1970's and converted to civilian normal category in the late 1990's. Rare in the civilian world, this means less resource and hard to get information for this helicopter. What can be done to prevent a recurrence is to set a specific refuel procedure and flight duration limitation for the aircraft. For example, when I fly this helicopter again, I set 200 NM distance limitation, or 2 hours flight duration, whichever comes first. Then, regardless of fuel quantity (gauge or estimated fuel remaining), you will refuel the aircraft. I believe that this idea can work well for every aircraft in the world.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HUGHES 369A MAKES AN OFF FIELD LNDG ACCOUNT FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING BACK FROM ZZZ WITH ANOTHER COMMERCIAL RATED HELI PLT AFTER COMPLETION OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FLT. THIS FLT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER CFR 14, FAR 91. AT ABOUT 10 NM NE OF THE FIELD, I SAW THE LOW FUEL LIGHT COME ON AND THE HELI LOST COMPLETE ENG PWR DUE TO LOW FUEL. WE FOUND A SUITABLE LNDG SITE. NO HARD LNDG WAS MADE. NOBODY WAS HURT AND THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND OTHER PROPERTY. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, FUEL GAUGE WAS SHOWING AROUND 25-30 LBS. AFTER REFUELED ACFT, OUR MECH CHKED THE ACFT AND WE DETERMINED THAT THIS ACFT IS SAFE TO FLY BACK TO OUR HOME BASE. I MADE EXTENSIVE PREFLT PLANNING FOR THIS TRIP ESPECIALLY FUEL FLOW FOR EVERY MIN IN THE PWRED FLT CONFIGN, INCLUDING START-UPS AND SHUTDOWNS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH FLT MANUAL. I'D FLOWN THE ACFT BY TIME, NOT FOR FUEL GAUGES, SINCE I AM STILL NEW TO THE ACFT AND I COULD NOT PREDICT HOW ACCURATE IT IS. THEREFORE, I PLANNED TRIP WITH EXTRA MARGINS BUT IT DID NOT WORK AND RESULTED IN A FORCED LNDG. THIS HELI I WAS IN WAS ORIGINALLY USED BY THE UNITED STATES GOV IN THE 1970'S AND CONVERTED TO CIVILIAN NORMAL CATEGORY IN THE LATE 1990'S. RARE IN THE CIVILIAN WORLD, THIS MEANS LESS RESOURCE AND HARD TO GET INFO FOR THIS HELI. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE IS TO SET A SPECIFIC REFUEL PROC AND FLT DURATION LIMITATION FOR THE ACFT. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN I FLY THIS HELI AGAIN, I SET 200 NM DISTANCE LIMITATION, OR 2 HRS FLT DURATION, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. THEN, REGARDLESS OF FUEL QUANTITY (GAUGE OR ESTIMATED FUEL REMAINING), YOU WILL REFUEL THE ACFT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IDEA CAN WORK WELL FOR EVERY ACFT IN THE WORLD.

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.