Bell OH-58A accident near Bastrop, Louisiana, July 16, 1999
On July 16, 1999 at about 1:34 pm local time, a Bell OH-58A (helicopter), registered N9254R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bastrop, Louisiana. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the refueling truck's filter to separate water resulting in the water contamination in the helicopter's fuel system and subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 1999 · about 1:34 pm local time
- Place
- Bastrop, Louisiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell OH-58A · all OH-58As on the register
- Registration
- N9254R · no longer on the register · serial 71-20844
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter experienced a total loss of engine power due to a contaminated fuel system. Days prior to the accident flight, the refueling truck had been contaminated with water, and the accident helicopter had been filled with the contaminated fuel. The pilot and ground crew became aware of the situation and sumped both the truck and the helicopter. The pilot thought that the helicopter's fuel system was free of the contaminated fuel. During the accident flight, the engine lost power, the pilot initiated an autorotation, and the helicopter impacted pine trees. The FAA inspector observed water and algae in the helicopter's fuel filters. The operator stated that the refueling truck's water filter failed to separate the water from the fuel during the fueling operations. After the accident, the operator installed water/fuel separators in all the refueling trucks in addition to the filters that were already in place as an extra measure of safety.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 150 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,777 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 15, 1999; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison C-20B-T63 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from MLU, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N9254R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.