Bell 47 pilot on sightseeing flight has engine sputter twice. He makes a precautionary landing in a ...

Attributes
ACN	357284
Time
Date	199701
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 10fl
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Bell 47
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 6700 flight time type : 550
ASRS Report	357284
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I had been flying the bell 47 for about 5 hours throughout the day. On my final flight, a sunset flight, I was about halfway through my normal route with a honeymoon couple and a young boy who helps us around the airport, 500 ft heading west when the engine sputtered. We dropped some altitude, the engine sputtered again. At this time I decided to make a landing in an open vacant lot, approximately 800 ft square in a small municipality of key colony beach. As I didn't know if the engine would quit completely. I radioed a may day to let someone know of our situation. I made a right turn back into the wind and made a steep approach under full power and control, to the center of the field between 2 condominium units. I then radioed that I was on the ground at key colony and everything was all right. There was no hazard to persons or property on the ground. Although the engine had run smoothly after landing I decided to leave the aircraft for inspection by an a&P. I was received by the land owner with concern for our safety and was wished good luck. A town official launched a tirade against my decision to make a landing in the vacant lot, which he didn't own. Also, earlier in the day, I was very busy with the temperatures in the helicopter reaching 90 degrees. I decided to change into a pair of cutoffs. In doing so, I neglected to bring my wallet with my pilot's license with me. Therefore, when the police asked for my license I could not deliver it to him at that time although it was presented to him before he finished his report. I had the aircraft checked and found dry seaweed in the filter system. It was cleaned and after great difficulties with the town official, I flew the helicopter back to the helipad. We have since moved to cleaner facilities and have added a more thorough inspection of the induction system to the preflight inspection. Have flown the bell for approximately 4 hours with no further problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BELL 47 PLT ON SIGHTSEEING FLT HAS ENG SPUTTER TWICE. HE MAKES A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG IN A FIELD BTWN 2 CONDOMINIUM STRUCTURES. PROPERTY OWNER IS CONCERNED FOR SAFETY OF ALL ABOARD, AREA'S TOWN OFFICIAL IS EXTREMELY UPSET AT THE LNDG.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN FLYING THE BELL 47 FOR ABOUT 5 HRS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. ON MY FINAL FLT, A SUNSET FLT, I WAS ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH MY NORMAL RTE WITH A HONEYMOON COUPLE AND A YOUNG BOY WHO HELPS US AROUND THE ARPT, 500 FT HDG W WHEN THE ENG SPUTTERED. WE DROPPED SOME ALT, THE ENG SPUTTERED AGAIN. AT THIS TIME I DECIDED TO MAKE A LNDG IN AN OPEN VACANT LOT, APPROX 800 FT SQUARE IN A SMALL MUNICIPALITY OF KEY COLONY BEACH. AS I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE ENG WOULD QUIT COMPLETELY. I RADIOED A MAY DAY TO LET SOMEONE KNOW OF OUR SIT. I MADE A R TURN BACK INTO THE WIND AND MADE A STEEP APCH UNDER FULL PWR AND CTL, TO THE CTR OF THE FIELD BTWN 2 CONDOMINIUM UNITS. I THEN RADIOED THAT I WAS ON THE GND AT KEY COLONY AND EVERYTHING WAS ALL RIGHT. THERE WAS NO HAZARD TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY ON THE GND. ALTHOUGH THE ENG HAD RUN SMOOTHLY AFTER LNDG I DECIDED TO LEAVE THE ACFT FOR INSPECTION BY AN A&P. I WAS RECEIVED BY THE LAND OWNER WITH CONCERN FOR OUR SAFETY AND WAS WISHED GOOD LUCK. A TOWN OFFICIAL LAUNCHED A TIRADE AGAINST MY DECISION TO MAKE A LNDG IN THE VACANT LOT, WHICH HE DIDN'T OWN. ALSO, EARLIER IN THE DAY, I WAS VERY BUSY WITH THE TEMPS IN THE HELI REACHING 90 DEGS. I DECIDED TO CHANGE INTO A PAIR OF CUTOFFS. IN DOING SO, I NEGLECTED TO BRING MY WALLET WITH MY PLT'S LICENSE WITH ME. THEREFORE, WHEN THE POLICE ASKED FOR MY LICENSE I COULD NOT DELIVER IT TO HIM AT THAT TIME ALTHOUGH IT WAS PRESENTED TO HIM BEFORE HE FINISHED HIS RPT. I HAD THE ACFT CHKED AND FOUND DRY SEAWEED IN THE FILTER SYS. IT WAS CLEANED AND AFTER GREAT DIFFICULTIES WITH THE TOWN OFFICIAL, I FLEW THE HELI BACK TO THE HELIPAD. WE HAVE SINCE MOVED TO CLEANER FACILITIES AND HAVE ADDED A MORE THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE INDUCTION SYS TO THE PREFLT INSPECTION. HAVE FLOWN THE BELL FOR APPROX 4 HRS WITH NO FURTHER PROBS.

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.

Bell 47 pilot on sightseeing flight has engine sputter twice. He makes a precautionary landing in a field between 2 condominium structures. Property owner is concerned for safety of all aboard, area's town official is extremely upset at the landing.