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| Date: | Sunday 13 November 2005 |
| Time: | 16:30 LT |
| Type: |  RotorWay Exec 162F |
| Owner/operator: | Michael Spanos |
| Registration: | N321JN |
| MSN: | 6066 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 110 hours |
| Engine model: | Rotorway 162 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Chandler, Arizona -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Phoenix, AZ (A39) |
| Chandler Municipal Airport, AZ (CHD/KCHD) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The helicopter made a hard landing while executing an autorotation after a loss of engine power in-flight. The pilot fueled the helicopter with automotive fuel from cans in the morning prior to practicing in the traffic pattern for 1 hour at Phoenix Regional Airport. He landed, refueled from the same fuel source he had in the morning, and departed to Chandler. About 5 minutes into the flight, the pilot experienced a decrease in engine power and a drop in rotor rpm every time he raised the collective. He selected a landing site and chose to make an emergency landing. The pilot began an autorotation at about 1,000 feet above ground level and maneuvered toward his landing area, which was a water retention basin surrounded by trees. After just clearing the trees, and about 30 feet off the ground, he began a flare and touched down, stopping the helicopter within 20 feet. He exited the helicopter and noticed he had lost a tail rotor blade and the tail boom had a stress wrinkle in it. The pilot towed the helicopter back to his home and discovered rust and water in a fuel sample taken from the aircraft and the containers used to refuel the helicopter.
Probable Cause: a loss of engine power due to fuel contamination (rust, water) as a result of the pilot's inadequate preflight planning preparation.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX06CA033
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Oct-2022 09:46 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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