Accident Details
On September 22, 2009, at 1600 Pacific daylight time, an Agusta A109 helicopter, registration N129AL, landed hard in an athletic field approximately 1 mile from the Page Municipal Airport in Page, Arizona. Omniflight Helicopters operated the helicopter under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a positioning flight. The commercial pilot was not injured, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades, tail rotor, tail boom, and horizontal stabilizer. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan had been filed.
Flight Sequence
The helicopter departed Mesa, Arizona, at 1414. The pilot reported that at 70 miles from his destination, he determined he would be landing closer to minimum fuel than planned. He continued to the destination, passing the Tuba City Airport because it lacked services. At 35 miles from the destination, the low fuel caution-warning for fuel tank 2 illuminated, followed by a low fuel caution-warning for fuel tank 1. The pilot continued flying, expecting to land with some reserve. Approximately 1 mile from the destination airport, the helicopter experienced a dual engine flame-out. The pilot executed an autorotation to a sports field, where the helicopter landed hard.
Pilot Statement
The pilot stated that the helicopter and engines had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.