Bell 206 L3 HK3353 Fuel Exhaustion Accident in Chía, Colombia

Flight Overview and Incident Details On September 25, 2021, a Bell 206 L3 helicopter with registration HK3353 was operating a visual flight rules (VFR) passenger taxi service. The flight was scheduled to depart from Flaminio Suárez Camacho Airport in Bogotá (SKGY) to Puerto Berrío, Antioquia, and then return to Guaymaral. The aircraft carried one pilot and two passengers. During the return leg from Puerto Berrío, the helicopter was refueled. The pilot intended to receive 60 gallons of fuel, but due to poor communication with the fueling personnel, only 6 gallons were actually provided. The pilot departed Puerto Berrío at 12:35 local time, expecting to land at Guaymaral at 13:42 local time. ## Fuel Exhaustion and Emergency Landing Approximately 15 minutes before the estimated arrival time, the FUEL LOW light illuminated. The pilot, mistakenly believing the aircraft had received the planned 60 gallons, continued the flight and began descending. After reporting a position lateral to Chía, Cundinamarca, the pilot observed oscillations in torque and turbine outlet temperature (TOT) indications. Anticipating a possible engine shutdown, the pilot initiated an autorotation toward a suitable field. During the final approach, the engine shut down. The helicopter performed a hard landing in the unprepared field without sufficient speed. The impact caused the main landing gear cross tubes to collapse and the tail rotor assembly to detach. The aircraft rotated 180 degrees on the ground before coming to a stop. ## Injuries and Damage The pilot and two passengers evacuated the helicopter under their own power. The pilot sustained a serious injury to the L3 lumbar vertebra, while both passengers were unharmed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. ## Probable Cause and Contributing Factors The investigation determined that the accident resulted from a hard landing in an unprepared field following a loss of power caused by sudden engine shutdown due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing factors included incorrect crew supervision and verification during refueling, incomplete communication with the fuel provider resulting in less fuel than planned, and crew overconfidence in disregarding fuel quantity indications and low-fuel alarms. Additionally, inadequate standardization of fueling procedures by ground support personnel contributed to the incident.