Bell 206B N804LA accident near Albers, Illinois

Probable cause

Fuel contamination, which resulted in the loss of engine power.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he performed a preflight inspection of the helicopter and noted no anomalies. Shortly after takeoff, at an altitude of 600 ft above ground level, the pilot initiated a turn, and, halfway through the turn, the engine lost power. The pilot reported that it seemed as though the throttle had rolled back and that he noticed a loss of N2 speed. The engine-out horn sounded, and the engine-out caution light illuminated, so the pilot located a cornfield in which to land, decreased the collective, and performed an autorotation. The helicopter settled into the cornfield and then rolled onto its left side during the landing, which resulted in the tailboom separating from the fuselage. Fuel samples taken from the fueling source and the fuel sump drain did not contain water. However, fuel samples taken from the airframe fuel filter housing contained water. The pilot would not have been able to detect the water in the airframe fuel filter when he checked the fuel sump during the preflight inspection. Maintenance records showed that the airframe fuel filter was changed 2.5 flight hours before the accident; however, it could not be determined how the water was introduced.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN13LA487 for the full record.