What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 5-7-09, around 0800 EDT, privacy data omitted was operating N456SH, a Robinson R-22 in the vicinity of Winter Haven airport. The pilot stated, on approach to runway 11 at Winter Haven airport at 600 ft AGL, he executed the approach checklist. Within seconds of pulling on the carb heat the engine quit. He entered autorotation while trying to start the engine. The engine failed to start and he noticed his autorotation would carry him into some nearby houses. He elected to bleed off airspeed to shorten his autorotation to miss the houses and landed in a vacant lot approximately 100 yards short of the houses. The resulting loss of airpseed and rotor speed contributed to a hard landing. The aircraft was found sitting upright on its skids with half of the tailboom missing. The main rotor blades were bent and wrinkled. All of the separated pieces were found within fifty yards of the aircraft. The following day the airframe was examined. The throttle, mixture, and cargo heat control rigging was correct. The fuel gascolator and bowl were clean. The aircraft was secured to the point where the engine could be run. It started and ran at ground idle with no problems. It was unsafe to advance the throttle.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 5-7-09, AROUND 0800 EDT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS OPERATING N456SH, A ROBINSON R-22 IN THE VICINITY OF WINTER HAVEN AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED, ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 11 AT WINTER HAVEN AIRPORT AT 600 FT AGL, HE EXECUTED THE APPROACH CHECKLIST. WITHIN SECONDS OF PULLING ON THE CARB HEAT THE ENGINE QUIT. HE ENTERED AUTOROTATION WHILE TRYING TO START THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE FAILED TO START AND HE NOTICED HIS AUTOROTATION WOULD CARRY HIM INTO SOME NEARBY HOUSES. HE ELECTED TO BLEED OFF AIRSPEED TO SHORTEN HIS AUTOROTATION TO MISS THE HOUSES AND LANDED IN A VACANT LOT APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS SHORT OF THE HOUSES. THE RESULTING LOSS OF AIRPSEED AND ROTOR SPEED CONTRIBUTED TO A HARD LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND SITTING UPRIGHT ON ITS SKIDS WITH HALF OF THE TAILBOOM MISSING. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE BENT AND WRINKLED. ALL OF THE SEPARATED PIECES WERE FOUND WITHIN FIFTY YARDS OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE AIRFRAME WAS EXAMINED. THE THROTTLE, MIXTURE, AND CARGO HEAT CONTROL RIGGING WAS CORRECT. THE FUEL GASCOLATOR AND BOWL WERE CLEAN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SECURED TO THE POINT WHERE THE ENGINE COULD BE RUN. IT STARTED AND RAN AT GROUND IDLE WITH NO PROBLEMS. IT WAS UNSAFE TO ADVANCE THE THROTTLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.