NTSB Identification: WPR13LA099
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, January 22, 2013 in Mesa, AZ
Probable Cause Approval Date: 01/13/2014
Aircraft: GOETZ HELICYCLE, registration: N143PG
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
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.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: 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. Full narrative available
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