On July 21, 1983, an Enstrom F-28F (registration N81HF) was involved in an aviation accident near Springfield, OH. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A helicopter experienced a boost pump failure and partial power loss, leading to a hard landing and main rotor blade strike on the tail boom. The aircraft had 45 lbs of fuel in the left tank and no fuel gauge for that tank.
Incident Overview
A pilot reported that after landing on a nurse truck, he took on a 30 lb chemical load and 45 lbs of fuel in the left tank. The helicopter then took off again. Approximately 10 minutes later, after spraying the chemical load, the boost pump failure light illuminated. The pilot turned into the wind and began a precautionary landing. However, before landing, there was a partial loss of power. Subsequently, the helicopter landed hard and the main rotor blades struck the tail boom.
Fuel System Details
The instrument panel did not have a fuel gauge for the left fuel tank. The pilot stated that fuel was being used from the left tank faster than it was crossing over from the right tank.
Aircraft Damage
The hard landing resulted in the main rotor blades striking the tail boom, causing damage to the helicopter.