20070716018829A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr ROTORWAY162F · South Heart, ND · July 16, 2007

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Date: July 16, 2007 · 17:30 local
Place: South Heart, ND
Phase of flight: Pwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: CFYAR
Reported as: Amtr ROTORWAY162F
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,000 total110 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) While conducting a part 91 cross country flight at approximately 400 feet AGL the pilot stated he inadvertently struck the engine fuel pump switch while taking a drink of water. This resulted in the engine failure. There was insufficient altitude for the pilot to perform a start. The pilot initiated an engine out landing by performing an autorotation. The aircraft landed hard and the main rotor blades struck the tail boom resulting in substantial damage.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE CONDUCTING A PART 91 CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET AGL THE PILOT STATED HE INADVERTENTLY STRUCK THE ENGINE FUEL PUMP SWITCH WHILE TAKING A DRINK OF WATER. THIS RESULTED IN THE ENGINE FAILURE. THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE FOR THE PILOT TO PERFORM A START. THE PILOT INITIATED AN ENGINE OUT LANDING BY PERFORMING AN AUTOROTATION. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.