On July 10, 1984, a Hughes 369D (registration N52934) operated by Custom Aire,inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Franklin, TN. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A helicopter experienced an engine flame-out after the pilot and passenger added automotive gasoline to the fuel tank. The pilot performed an autorotation but the aircraft landed hard and rolled over.
Accident Details
A helicopter sustained a hard landing and rolled over during an emergency autorotation landing. The accident occurred after the aircraft's engine experienced a flame-out. The pilot reported that the aircraft began to 'shudder' before the engine flame-out. During the autorotation, the pilot stated that he 'thought he lost depth perception' when he turned on the landing lights. The helicopter had been operating from a farm field.
Flight History
Earlier in the flight, the helicopter had a low fuel warning light. The pilot made a precautionary landing, after which he and a passenger carried two five-gallon cans of automotive gasoline to the aircraft and poured them into the jet helicopter fuel tank. Following engine start and takeoff, the aircraft climbed to 1800 feet above ground level (AGL) before the shuddering and subsequent engine flame-out.
Fuel Usage
The Hobbs meter indicated 3.5 hours of operation for a series of eight flights since the last refueling prior to the accident. The automotive gasoline used by the pilot is not an approved alternate fuel for this engine and aircraft combination.