What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 20 July 2004 at appx 1836 local time at the lone star executive airport (cxo) Conroe, TX 7730. An experimental home built rotorway executive helicopter registered as N342RD; s/n 4162 experienced a hard landing after the engine stopped. The pilot reported that at an altitude of appx 20 feet AGL and an airspeed of 20 mph the engine stopped and he attempted an auto rotation to the ground, the aircraft sustained substantial damage and the pilot received minor cuts to the head and face. The aircraft was moved to a hangar for further investigation. Inspectors of this office inspected the aircraft and found that the fuel pump circuit breaker was popped and that the fuel system was set up so that it had to have the pump pressure to operate. All other aircraft systems and components checked out with normal operation and indications. The circuit breaker and pump had no redundancy and the locking was very weak. The installed circuit breaker did not appear of a very high quality and it was verified by the pilot that the fuel injector system would not function without the positive pressure to the injector. Due to the damage and pilot qualifications, the hou-fsdo operations unit will follow up with pilot actions.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 20 JULY 2004 AT APPX 1836 LOCAL TIME AT THE LONE STAR EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (CXO) CONROE, TX 7730. AN EXPERIMENTAL HOME BUILT ROTORWAY EXECUTIVE HELICOPTER REGISTERED AS N342RD; S/N 4162 EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING AFTER THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPX 20 FEET AGL AND AN AIRSPEED OF 20 MPH THE ENGINE STOPPED AND HE ATTEMPTED AN AUTO ROTATION TO THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR CUTS TO THE HEAD AND FACE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO A HANGAR FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. INSPECTORS OF THIS OFFICE INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND THAT THE FUEL PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS POPPED AND THAT THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS SET UP SO THAT IT HAD TO HAVE THE PUMP PRESSURE TO OPERATE. ALL OTHER AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS CHECKED OUT WITH NORMAL OPERATION AND INDICATIONS. THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND PUMP HAD NO REDUNDANCY AND THE LOCKING WAS VERY WEAK. THE INSTALLED CIRCUIT BREAKER DID NOT APPEAR OF A VERY HIGH QUALITY AND IT WAS VERIFIED BY THE PILOT THAT THE FUEL INJECTOR SYSTEM WOULD NOT FUNCTION WITHOUT THE POSITIVE PRESSURE TO THE INJECTOR. DUE TO THE DAMAGE AND PILOT QUALIFICATIONS, THE HOU-FSDO OPERATIONS UNIT WILL FOLLOW UP WITH PILOT ACTIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.