On April 2, 1990, a Bell 47G-3B-2 (registration N9449J) operated by Western Helicopter Service was involved in an aviation accident near Hillsboro, OR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Fuel exhaustion due to insufficient fuel on board, which resulted in the loss of engine power and a subsequent hard landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A helicopter experienced sudden engine failure during a turn while conducting aerial application operations, resulting in a hard landing on rough terrain due to fuel exhaustion.
What happened
During an aerial application flight, the pilot reported that the engine suddenly quit while the aircraft was executing a turn. The helicopter subsequently landed hard on rough terrain.
The investigation
A post-crash inspection of the helicopter revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions. The examination determined that the helicopter contained less than the unusable amount of fuel at the time of the incident.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the accident was fuel exhaustion. The lack of usable fuel led to the sudden loss of engine power during the critical phase of flight.
Probable cause
Fuel exhaustion due to insufficient fuel on board, which resulted in the loss of engine power and a subsequent hard landing.