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The pilot of a helicopter that crashed in Whitefield the afternoon of May 30 walks out of the woods under his own power. The pilot declined to comment on the crash. (D. Lobkowicz photo) |
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By Dominik Lobkowicz
The pilot of an OH-58A+ helicopter that crashed in Whitefield May 30 allegedly told police and his employer the helicopter had fuel issues, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The helicopter, registered to Whitefield-based Maine Helicopters Inc., crashed in the woods near 100 East River Road (Route 218) that afternoon. The helicopter was on approach to the company’s helipad at the time, according to the report.
The pilot, not identified in the report, was an instrument-rated commercial helicopter pilot with 3,723 hours of flight experience, 1,475 of which were in the make and model of helicopter involved in the accident.
In a written statement, the pilot reported the flight was “uneventful” until the master caution light flashed and the helicopter shortly thereafter lost all engine power, according to the report.
“The pilot told the responding police officers that he ‘had an issue with fuel’ and told his employer immediately following the accident that he ‘ran out of fuel,'” the report alleges.
“The pilot entered autorotation, maneuvered the helicopter to an area of the shortest timber, and cushioned that landing as the helicopter entered the trees,” the report states. “The helicopter came to rest upright, and the pilot egressed without assistance.”
A preliminary Federal Aviation Administration inspection confirmed flight and engine control continuity and operation of the fuel boost pump, and approximately 11 gallons of fuel were recovered from the helicopter, according to the report.
“A detailed examination of the helicopter was scheduled for a later date,” the report states.
The report says Federal Aviation Administration records show the helicopter in question was manufactured by Bell Helicopter in 1971 for the U.S. Army and was later remanufactured by Garlick Helicopters for civilian use.
Company records show the helicopter had 91 hours flight time since its most recent 100- hour inspection, according to the report.
A call for comment to Maine Helicopters was not returned by press time.
