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An atx pilot flying an H1P has to land off airport due to insufficient fuel. Another of the company's helicopter pilots flies fuel to him in a 5 gallon can. This pilot returns to its base with the first helicopter's passenger.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 361930 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199702 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ckh |
| State Reference | HI |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : hnl |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Robinson R22 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other landing other other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 300 flight time type : 290 |
| ASRS Report | 361930 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 361932 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
Narrative:
I had a passenger on board for a 45 min sight-seeing tour and had about 13 gallons of fuel on board. Due to changed WX conditions while en route, the flight endured for about 65 mins. When I approached koko head VOR, I contacted hnl approach for entering class B for landing at airport. The controller told me that the airport was IFR and to remain out of class B. I circled for about 5 mins close to koko head VOR and as WX conditions remained unchanged, I decided to land at koko head VOR because of getting relatively low on fuel. Once landed, I called the office and asked for fuel. After 1/2 hour of waiting, I got the fuel by another helicopter. My passenger flew back on the other aircraft while I was fueling my aircraft. By the time I was finished fueling the aircraft (5 gallons) the WX conditions went back to normal (ceiling greater than 3000 ft, visibility 15 mi). The precautionary landing, in my opinion, was necessary because of safe flying practices I always maintain. I'm sure that I could have returned to the airport without any problems, but what if not? My mistake was that I only had extra fuel for 20 mins instead of going for a generous amount of 30-40 mins of extra fuel. Also, I flew an aircraft with an empty gas can, which is considered a hazmat. From this day on, I always have more than the required fuel on board -- especially when the WX conditions ask for it! Supplemental information from acn 361932: I received a phone call from one of our pilot's cellular phones, that he had to make a precautionary landing because of low fuel. I took a 5 gallon fuel tank with me and flew to the location where the other helicopter landed. I dropped off the fuel and took the passenger of the other helicopter on board and flew back to the airport. The mistake I have done was that I probably should have driven there with a car instead of flying there with a hazmat on board.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ATX PLT FLYING AN H1P HAS TO LAND OFF ARPT DUE TO INSUFFICIENT FUEL. ANOTHER OF THE COMPANY'S HELI PLTS FLIES FUEL TO HIM IN A 5 GALLON CAN. THIS PLT RETURNS TO ITS BASE WITH THE FIRST HELI'S PAX.
Narrative: I HAD A PAX ON BOARD FOR A 45 MIN SIGHT-SEEING TOUR AND HAD ABOUT 13 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. DUE TO CHANGED WX CONDITIONS WHILE ENRTE, THE FLT ENDURED FOR ABOUT 65 MINS. WHEN I APCHED KOKO HEAD VOR, I CONTACTED HNL APCH FOR ENTERING CLASS B FOR LNDG AT ARPT. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT THE ARPT WAS IFR AND TO REMAIN OUT OF CLASS B. I CIRCLED FOR ABOUT 5 MINS CLOSE TO KOKO HEAD VOR AND AS WX CONDITIONS REMAINED UNCHANGED, I DECIDED TO LAND AT KOKO HEAD VOR BECAUSE OF GETTING RELATIVELY LOW ON FUEL. ONCE LANDED, I CALLED THE OFFICE AND ASKED FOR FUEL. AFTER 1/2 HR OF WAITING, I GOT THE FUEL BY ANOTHER HELI. MY PAX FLEW BACK ON THE OTHER ACFT WHILE I WAS FUELING MY ACFT. BY THE TIME I WAS FINISHED FUELING THE ACFT (5 GALLONS) THE WX CONDITIONS WENT BACK TO NORMAL (CEILING GREATER THAN 3000 FT, VISIBILITY 15 MI). THE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG, IN MY OPINION, WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF SAFE FLYING PRACTICES I ALWAYS MAINTAIN. I'M SURE THAT I COULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE ARPT WITHOUT ANY PROBS, BUT WHAT IF NOT? MY MISTAKE WAS THAT I ONLY HAD EXTRA FUEL FOR 20 MINS INSTEAD OF GOING FOR A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF 30-40 MINS OF EXTRA FUEL. ALSO, I FLEW AN ACFT WITH AN EMPTY GAS CAN, WHICH IS CONSIDERED A HAZMAT. FROM THIS DAY ON, I ALWAYS HAVE MORE THAN THE REQUIRED FUEL ON BOARD -- ESPECIALLY WHEN THE WX CONDITIONS ASK FOR IT! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 361932: I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM ONE OF OUR PLT'S CELLULAR PHONES, THAT HE HAD TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG BECAUSE OF LOW FUEL. I TOOK A 5 GALLON FUEL TANK WITH ME AND FLEW TO THE LOCATION WHERE THE OTHER HELI LANDED. I DROPPED OFF THE FUEL AND TOOK THE PAX OF THE OTHER HELI ON BOARD AND FLEW BACK TO THE ARPT. THE MISTAKE I HAVE DONE WAS THAT I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE DRIVEN THERE WITH A CAR INSTEAD OF FLYING THERE WITH A HAZMAT ON BOARD.
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.