What happened
On September 7, 2012, at approximately 5:45 p.m., a Bell 206 Ranger III helicopter, registration HI 419, was conducting a private flight from Loma Quita Espuela to Camp David. Roughly ten minutes into the flight, the pilot experienced engine vibrations, pitching, and a continuous loss of power, accompanied by low-fuel warning lights. The pilot successfully executed an emergency autorotation, landing on a hill known as Altos de Seraf_fina in the Boca Férrea area of Espaillat Province. Both the pilot and the passenger were uninjured, and the aircraft sustained no structural damage.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation established that the aircraft had undergone maintenance on its fuel float system just days prior to the event. During this maintenance, the low-fuel indicator sensor cable became disconnected from its terminal. This mechanical failure caused the cockpit gauge to provide false readings, indicating approximately 57 gallons of fuel remained in the tank when it was actually empty.
Furthermore, the operator's hangar utilized a refueling tank that lacked a meter to measure quantity. Consequently, the mechanic relied on the aircraft's faulty cockpit gauge to fulfill the pilot's request for 80 gallons. The investigation also noted that the pilot failed to perform a visual fuel check, as required by the manufacturer's checklist, during the pre-flight inspection.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was human error, specifically the pilot's failure to visually verify the fuel level during the pre-flight inspection.
- A contributing material factor was the disconnected low-fuel sensor cable, which resulted in the aircraft being under-fueled.
- The refueling process was compromised by the lack of a measuring device on the company's hangar fuel tank.
- The aircraft was found to be completely out of fuel at the landing site.
Safety action
- The CIAA recommended that the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC) instruct pilots to remain at the scene of an accident or incident to contact local authorities, unless injuries prevent them from doing so.
- The commission recommended that the operator, Servicios Aéreos Profesionales, S.A., implement more rigorous quality control procedures for maintenance tasks to ensure operational safety.