NTSB CAROL · Event
Event MIA88LA018
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
THE PLT STATED THAT HE DID NOT CHECK THE FUEL SYSTEM FOR CONTAMINATES AFTER REFUELING BUT AN EIGHTEEN MINUTE FLT AFTER REFUELING WAS UNEVENTFUL. HE THEN LANDED THE HELICOPTER, REMAINED ON THE GROUND APRX 20 MINUTES, PERFORMED A WALK AROUND INSP, AGAIN WITHOUT CHECKING THE FUEL SYSTEM, THEN DEPARTED ON A SIGHTSEEING FLT ALONG THE SHORELINE. WHILE IN CRUISE FLT AT APRX 500 FT THE ENG QUIT. AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING IN THE WATER WAS PERFORMED WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER BUT THE PLT THEN ROLLED IT TO THE RT TO STOP THE ROTATION OF THE BLADES TO EXIT FROM ACFT. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. ACCORDING TO A MECHANIC THE ENG QUIT DUE TO WATER AND FUEL CONTAMINATION. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1987_MIA88LA018.txt.
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