Accident Details
A helicopter had just finished depleting the fuel in an external burning unit and was returning to a staging area when the engine quit. The pilot reported that he had turned off the external unit just before the engine failure.
Investigation Findings
Post-accident examination of the helicopter's engine and fuel system revealed no discrepancies. However, investigators observed the positions of two switches after the incident: the external unit control switch was found in the 'on' position, while the main fuel shutoff switch was found in the 'off' position.
Switch Placement
It was noted that the operator had located the external unit control switch approximately three inches above the main fuel shutoff switch. This physical arrangement may have contributed to confusion, though no causal link is explicitly stated in the investigation.