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Pilot of a twin engine helicopter made an off airport forced autorotation landing after both engines quit due to fuel starvation caused by the main fuel pumps in the off position.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 328402 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199602 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bty |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 600 agl bound upper : 600 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | BO105 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 26 |
| ASRS Report | 328402 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
At the conclusion of an aerial photo mission with 3 photographers and 1 pilot onboard, the aircraft had a dual engine failure due to fuel starvation. The aircraft had abundant fuel in the main fuel tanks, however, because of the fuel system design and the fact that the 'main fuel boost pump' switches were inadvertently left in the off position, the aircraft engines flamed out. A successful autorotation was accomplished with no damage to the aircraft. The incident was pilot error induced with no mechanical failure. The pilot (me) felt he was under a lot of job-related stress with his attention and thoughts on things other than flying the aircraft. The BO105 helicopter has a history of fuel-related incidents and accidents.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF A TWIN ENG HELI MADE AN OFF ARPT FORCED AUTOROTATION LNDG AFTER BOTH ENGS QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION CAUSED BY THE MAIN FUEL PUMPS IN THE OFF POS.
Narrative: AT THE CONCLUSION OF AN AERIAL PHOTO MISSION WITH 3 PHOTOGRAPHERS AND 1 PLT ONBOARD, THE ACFT HAD A DUAL ENG FAILURE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE ACFT HAD ABUNDANT FUEL IN THE MAIN FUEL TANKS, HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE FUEL SYS DESIGN AND THE FACT THAT THE 'MAIN FUEL BOOST PUMP' SWITCHES WERE INADVERTENTLY LEFT IN THE OFF POS, THE ACFT ENGS FLAMED OUT. A SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATION WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE INCIDENT WAS PLT ERROR INDUCED WITH NO MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE PLT (ME) FELT HE WAS UNDER A LOT OF JOB-RELATED STRESS WITH HIS ATTN AND THOUGHTS ON THINGS OTHER THAN FLYING THE ACFT. THE BO105 HELI HAS A HISTORY OF FUEL-RELATED INCIDENTS AND ACCIDENTS.
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.