History of Flight
On November 27, 2012, about 1558 central standard time, a MD Helicopters, Inc. MD 500D (Hughes 369D), registration N28MP, experienced a loss of engine power during long-line power line construction. The helicopter was in a stable hover about 120–150 feet above ground when the pilot noted a pronounced sharp left yaw, followed almost immediately by the engine winding down. The pilot saw the engine-out annunciation and applied right pedal input. The helicopter began to settle; the pilot heard the engine-out horn and saw the warning light. He moved away from the tower and lowered the collective, but the helicopter continued to descend and impacted terrain in a right-side-low attitude. A ground-based long-line worker 200–300 feet away reported hearing “all the sound go away” and observed the helicopter spin clockwise about 180 degrees as power was lost. The long-line worker hanging on the traveler was pulled off by the long-line.
Personnel Information
The commercial pilot held a rotorcraft-helicopter rating with 2,700 total flight hours, including 800 hours in the MD 500D. He had been hired by Brim Aviation on September 16, 2012, and received ground and flight training on September 17–18. The pilot’s training record indicated he passed knowledge and skill requirements for Part 133 and 137 operations, but did not detail flight maneuvers or results. The pilot reported no previous accidents or enforcement actions. He had worked on other helicopters before joining Brim Aviation.
The long-line worker on the ground stated there was no easy way for the suspended worker to release from the harness; the pilot acknowledged the lack of a company policy or procedure for release and indicated that a knife would be needed to cut the long-line.
Aircraft Information
The helicopter was an MD Helicopters, Inc. MD 500D (Hughes 369D), serial number 970191D, powered by a Rolls Royce 250-C20B engine. It was equipped with an ARS Air Rescue Systems belly band. The last 100-hour inspection was conducted on November 17, 2012, at an aircraft total time of 15,301.6 hours. After that inspection, the helicopter had flown four or five times.
Fuel System Details
The pilot stated that a 15-gallon fuel load was “working best” and he refueled when the fuel gauge indicated near 100 pounds. A company mechanic recalled filling the helicopter twice that day, each time with 15 gallons as specified by the pilot, but did not know the amount added just before the accident flight. The helicopter had been away from the landing zone for about one hour since its last refueling.
The flight manual indicates that the “FUEL LEVEL LOW” warning illuminates when about 35 pounds (22.5 pounds usable) remain. The mechanic had performed fuel system maintenance earlier in October after a pilot reported a “shudder.” He replaced the start pump and flushed the system, but did not perform vacuum checks as required by the maintenance manual after opening the fuel system. He tested the low-fuel annunciator by grounding the fuel quantity transmitter with a safety wire rather than following the manual’s specified procedure.
A service bulletin from MD Helicopters (September 15, 1987) warns that start pump wiring can interfere with the fuel quantity transmitter float, leading to erroneous fuel quantity indications.
Maintenance and Documentation
The helicopter’s maintenance discrepancy log contained only two pages with airworthiness entries, dating from early 2012. No power checks were recorded. The operator’s mechanic held an airframe and powerplant certificate but did not hold an inspection authorization; his training was on-the-job. The onboard Rotorcraft-Load Combination Flight Manual and Operations Specifications were not current; they lacked authorization for class D external loads, though FAA records showed the operator was approved for class D operations.
Post-Accident Examination
Investigators found a bottle of 5-hour ENERGY drink in the cockpit, but the pilot stated he did not consume energy drinks. The pilot reported no use of prescription or over-the-counter medications before the flight.
The accident site was about two miles northeast of Childress, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which originated near the work site.