Primary finding
Probable cause
The loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of an electrical system failure.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that the helicopter was about 100 yards from the landing zone at 100 feet above ground level at 40 mph airspeed when the engine “flamed out.” He attempted to execute an autorotation, but the helicopter impacted hard. The examination of the helicopter revealed that the electrical wires that provided power to the helicopter’s fuel pump became disconnected, which resulted in an interruption in the fuel flow to the engine.
Source record
Factual narrative
On August 6, 2011, about 1530 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Hyde Helicycle helicopter, N128BH, sustained substantial damage when it landed hard during an autorotation after a loss of engine power at the Mentone Airport (C92), Mentone, Indiana. The private pilot was not injured. The helicopter was registered to and operated by the pilot as a personal flight under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter departed C92 on a local flight about one minute prior to the accident. The pilot reported that he was about 100 yards from the landing zone at 100 feet above ground level (agl) at 40 mph airspeed when the engine “flamed out.” He attempted to execute an autorotation, but the helicopter impacted hard. The landing skid broke and the main rotor, tail rotor, and tail boom sustained substantial damage. The inspection of the helicopter revealed that the electrical wires that provided power to the helicopter’s fuel pump became disconnected, which subsequently shut down the engine.