Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning resulting in fuel exhaustion.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot was conducting an aerial application of fertilizer on a pine tree forest. He departed with 60 gallons of fuel, which equates to 45 minutes of useable fuel, and had been airborne for approximately 50 minutes. As the helicopter hovered 30 ft. over the loading crews, the engine lost power and began to settle. The pilot released the external load and maneuvered away from the crews on the ground. The helicopter collided with the ground along a narrow forest road. The operations manager stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the engine. No evidence of fuel was observed at the accident site, and no fuel was recovered from the helicopter's fuel system.
Source record
Factual narrative
On March 24, 2000, approximately 1150 eastern standard time, an Aerospatiale SA315B helicopter, N230US, operated by Southern States Cooperative Forestry Unit, collided with the ground following a loss of engine power while performing an aerial application 10 miles west of Springfield, Georgia. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local agricultural application flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 137. The flight originated from Guyton, Georgia, at 1100. According to an operations manager with Southern States Cooperative Forestry Unit, the purpose of the flight was to conduct an aerial application of fertilizer on a pine tree forest. The pilot departed with 60 gallons of fuel, which is approximately 45 minutes of useable fuel, and had been airborne for approximately 50 minutes. As the helicopter hovered 30 feet above ground level over the loading crews, the engine lost power and the helicopter began to settle. The pilot released the external load and maneuvered away from the crews on the ground. The main rotor blades began striking the trees approximately 18 feet above the ground. The helicopter collided with the ground along a narrow forest road, sustaining damage to the right skid, main and tail rotor blades, and right side of the cabin. According to the company's operations manager, there were no mechanical malfunctions with the engine at the time the accident occurred. According to an FAA inspector present at the accident scene, no evidence of fuel was observed at the accident site, and no fuel was recovered from the helicopter's fuel system.