Mcdonnell Douglas Heli CO 369FF accident near Decorah, Iowa, September 30, 2012
On September 30, 2012 at about 2:20 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas Heli CO 369FF (helicopter), registered N530KD, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Decorah, Iowa. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly manage the helicopter's available fuel supply, which led to a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the improper calibration of the fuel gauge and the fuel-low warning light.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 2012 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Decorah, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas Heli CO 369FF · all 369FFs on the register
- Registration
- N530KD · no longer on the register · serial 0044FF
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and his passenger were repositioning the helicopter and stopped twice to refuel. Each time they stopped the pilot topped off the fuel tank. During the second stop, the pilot used the airplane for personal reasons and flew for just over an hour. Before continuing on with the repositioning flight, the pilot added 15 gallons of fuel. Since this was not enough fuel to top off the tank, he referenced the fuel guage, which indicated 305-310 pounds of fuel on board. The pilot and passenger then departed on the next leg of their flight. About 58 minutes after they departed, the fuel-low caution light illuminated, indicating there was 35 pounds of fuel remaining. The pilot continued with the flight since he was within a few miles of the destination airport. About three minutes after the fuel-low caution light illuminated, the engine quit. The pilot made an autorotation to a mature corn field. The helicopter bounced upon touch down and rolled over on to its left side, which damaged the tail boom. Examination of the helicopter revealed only two drops of fuel were drained from the fuel sump and a 1/4-cup of fuel was drained from the fuel tank. Further examination revealed no mechancal deficiencies with the fuel system; however, when the fuel gauge and low-fuel caution light were tested they were found to not be calibrated correctly. The fuel gauge indicated a higher fuel total then what was actually in the fuel tank and the fuel-low caution light came on when there was only 19 pounds of fuel in the fuel tank versus 35 pounds. According to the operator, the low fuel-low caution light was inspected several months before the accident as part of a normal maintenance inspection. From the time this inspection was completed to the time of the accident, no other maintenance was performed on the fuel quantity sensor system.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Autorotation Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel quantity indicator › Incorrect service/maintenance
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel quantity sensor › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,429 hours in all; 3,866 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 7,404 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,641 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 6, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce A250-C30 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FOD Fort Dodge IA at 1:20 pm
- Destination: DEH Decorah IA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from DEH, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N530KD the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN12LA667.