An air taxi helicopter pilot landed in the sfo bay due to fuel exhaustion.

Attributes
ACN	233467
Time
Date	199302
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hwd
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hwd
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other
Route In Use	approach : contact
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	233467
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : assigned or threatened penalties Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I began the day at hayward airport. Preflight the helicopter at approximately HA45 pm. Checked fuel with line service, asked if helicopter was topped off. Response was 'yes.' I then also visually checked it on preflight, and crosschecked the gauge, 75 plus gallons on run-up. Departed hayward, flew direct hayward and shut down. Expected fuel load top off just as usual. The fuelers were familiar with our daily schedule and would usually top off without request. This was my longest layover (55 mins) before the end of the 11 hour duty day and 6.3 hour flying day. I drove across the street to eat, came back to the helicopter at XE40, untied blades, looked over helicopter. Departed hayward at XE55. Flew direct gnoss field, then sfo. Departed sfo in light rain south along highway 101, left turn east across highway 92 (san mateo bridge). Midspan I got a flicker on panel fuel pump. Crosschecked load meter. Approximately 1 min felt yaw and heard power surge in engine. Lowered collective partially, engine out light and audio then sounded and illuminated, full down on collective, armed floats, checked 60 mph established. Keyed up hayward tower 120.2 called out 'helicopter going down.' pulled float trigger approximately 100 ft, crosschecked gauges and flared successfully, completed autorotation into water. At night, approximately XF46, while in the water, I checked fuel gauge. It read 0. I was certain in mind I saw 50 gallons out of sfo. I remembered visually checking fuel and seeing 75 plus gallons out of hwd. I was convinced I leaked, lost, etc, 50 gallons between sfo and midspan highway 92. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting pilot states that the 'float trigger' is a device that deploys inflatable floats attached to the runners of the helicopter. The bottle can be recharged and the system reused. His company is very pleased that he used this mechanism and had a successful night automatic rotation into the water. The reporter admits that he was out of fuel, the refuelers failed to fuel the aircraft and he failed to note that they had not put in fuel. The FAA has given him a 2 yr letter of reprimand, and there is some talk of him having to make a safety talk soon. There will be no certificate action. There was no damage or injury.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIR TAXI HELI PLT LANDED IN THE SFO BAY DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION.

Narrative: I BEGAN THE DAY AT HAYWARD ARPT. PREFLT THE HELI AT APPROX HA45 PM. CHKED FUEL WITH LINE SVC, ASKED IF HELI WAS TOPPED OFF. RESPONSE WAS 'YES.' I THEN ALSO VISUALLY CHKED IT ON PREFLT, AND XCHKED THE GAUGE, 75 PLUS GALLONS ON RUN-UP. DEPARTED HAYWARD, FLEW DIRECT HAYWARD AND SHUT DOWN. EXPECTED FUEL LOAD TOP OFF JUST AS USUAL. THE FUELERS WERE FAMILIAR WITH OUR DAILY SCHEDULE AND WOULD USUALLY TOP OFF WITHOUT REQUEST. THIS WAS MY LONGEST LAYOVER (55 MINS) BEFORE THE END OF THE 11 HR DUTY DAY AND 6.3 HR FLYING DAY. I DROVE ACROSS THE STREET TO EAT, CAME BACK TO THE HELI AT XE40, UNTIED BLADES, LOOKED OVER HELI. DEPARTED HAYWARD AT XE55. FLEW DIRECT GNOSS FIELD, THEN SFO. DEPARTED SFO IN LIGHT RAIN S ALONG HWY 101, L TURN E ACROSS HWY 92 (SAN MATEO BRIDGE). MIDSPAN I GOT A FLICKER ON PANEL FUEL PUMP. XCHKED LOAD METER. APPROX 1 MIN FELT YAW AND HEARD PWR SURGE IN ENG. LOWERED COLLECTIVE PARTIALLY, ENG OUT LIGHT AND AUDIO THEN SOUNDED AND ILLUMINATED, FULL DOWN ON COLLECTIVE, ARMED FLOATS, CHKED 60 MPH ESTABLISHED. KEYED UP HAYWARD TWR 120.2 CALLED OUT 'HELI GOING DOWN.' PULLED FLOAT TRIGGER APPROX 100 FT, XCHKED GAUGES AND FLARED SUCCESSFULLY, COMPLETED AUTOROTATION INTO WATER. AT NIGHT, APPROX XF46, WHILE IN THE WATER, I CHKED FUEL GAUGE. IT READ 0. I WAS CERTAIN IN MIND I SAW 50 GALLONS OUT OF SFO. I REMEMBERED VISUALLY CHKING FUEL AND SEEING 75 PLUS GALLONS OUT OF HWD. I WAS CONVINCED I LEAKED, LOST, ETC, 50 GALLONS BTWN SFO AND MIDSPAN HWY 92. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING PLT STATES THAT THE 'FLOAT TRIGGER' IS A DEVICE THAT DEPLOYS INFLATABLE FLOATS ATTACHED TO THE RUNNERS OF THE HELI. THE BOTTLE CAN BE RECHARGED AND THE SYS REUSED. HIS COMPANY IS VERY PLEASED THAT HE USED THIS MECHANISM AND HAD A SUCCESSFUL NIGHT AUTO ROTATION INTO THE WATER. THE RPTR ADMITS THAT HE WAS OUT OF FUEL, THE REFUELERS FAILED TO FUEL THE ACFT AND HE FAILED TO NOTE THAT THEY HAD NOT PUT IN FUEL. THE FAA HAS GIVEN HIM A 2 YR LETTER OF REPRIMAND, AND THERE IS SOME TALK OF HIM HAVING TO MAKE A SAFETY TALK SOON. THERE WILL BE NO CERTIFICATE ACTION. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR INJURY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.