On April 7, 1983, a Hiller UH12-E (registration N68024) operated by Baldrick Crop Dusting was involved in an aviation accident near Kettleman City, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to ensure adequate fuel supply for the duration of the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A helicopter lost all power due to fuel exhaustion while returning from an aerial herbicide application, resulting in a hard landing and rollover with no injuries reported.
What happened
The pilot initiated flight operations at approximately 0725 with 23 gallons of fuel on board. The aircraft was utilized for aerial herbicide application, a task that lasted about one hour. Upon completing the initial spraying phase, the pilot returned to the base area to reload the chemical supply.
After refilling the tanks, the pilot departed again to resume spraying operations in the target area. Approximately ten minutes into this second leg of the flight, the aircraft experienced a complete loss of engine power. The pilot initiated a forced autorotation landing procedure. During the descent and touchdown, the helicopter impacted the ground with significant force. The impact caused the aircraft to roll over.
Post-accident inspection revealed that less than one gallon of fuel remained in the tanks at the time of the power failure.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to ensure adequate fuel supply for the duration of the flight, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing.