Finds Water In Fuel Led To Engine Failure

Water in the carburetor likely caused an April 2006 helicopter crash that claimed the lives of a Chelsea, MI police chief and fire captain.

In its probable cause report on the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board said investigators found water in the helicopter's carburetor. The report also says a sample taken from the pilot's fuel tank at his home showed a layer of water and sediment.

The NTSB says the water made its way into the tank, causing the engine to fail.

As ANN reported, 43-year-old police Chief Scott Sumner and 28-year-old fire Captain Matt Tuttle were aboard Tuttle's private helicopter on April 13, 2006, searching for a man who ran from a traffic stop -- a possible escapee from a nearby county -- when the helicopter went down.

Witnesses said the Robinson R-22 Beta (type shown above) "dropped out of the sky" and impacted terrain in Washtenaw County, MI, about five miles west of Ann Arbor. The helo impacted in a vertical orientation, with little if any evidence of forward motion, and little rotation of the rotors.

One eyewitness told reporters after the crash, "It was almost like he knew something was wrong. He was going a little slower, no smoke, no weird noises... and all of a sudden it just dropped really, really fast. And all we hear is this big crash."

Tuttle had volunteered use of his chopper when he heard the police were searching for the suspect.

FMI: Read The Probable Cause Report