Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Falcon Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mesa, Arizona 85215
Tuesady, January 22, 2013 14:00 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that while in cruise flight, the helicopter’s engine lost partial power. Because the helicopter was unable to maintain altitude, the pilot performed an autorotation to a residential street, and the helicopter landed hard. A witness reported that before the helicopter landed, it was oscillating and sounded as if the engine was cutting in and out. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that the "B" wire, which runs between the electronic speed controller unit and the fuel controller actuator motor, had separated. The pilot further reported that he had installed the "B" wire without strain relief at the connector, which allowed the wire to disconnect from the fuel control system because of vibrations during normal flight operations. The pilot reported that this disconnection resulted in a loss of fuel controller actuator motor power, and the engine power decreased to flight idle.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to properly install and secure the wire connecting the electronic speed controller unit to the fuel controller actuator motor, which resulted in the wire’s disconnection in flight and the resultant partial loss of engine power.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/22/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Mesa |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85215 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 332723N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1114325W |
| Event Location Airport | Falcon Field Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | FFZ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 4 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 234 |
| Airport Elevation | 1394 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1405 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 56 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FFZ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1394 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 40 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.08 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KFFZ 222105Z 34008KT 40SM SKC 25/M08 A3008 RMK ACF |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32028 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 15 2013 1:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N143PG |
| NTSB Number | WPR13LA099 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | GOETZ |
| Aircraft Model | HELICYCLE |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3-27 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 850 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 15 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 371 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GOETZ JOE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | GILBERT |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85296 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | GOETZ JOE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | GILBERT |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 85296 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CHD |
| Departure City | Chandler |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1345 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | FFZ |
| Destination City | Mesa |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 15 2013 1:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |