ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 221705
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| Date: | Sunday 28 January 2018 |
| Time: | 15:30 |
| Type: | Vertical Hummingbird 260L |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N4045 |
| MSN: | 1079 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2010 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 457 hours |
| Engine model: | Chevrolet LS3 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Harrisville, NY -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Potsdam, NY (PTD) |
| Harrisville, NY | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The commercial pilot was conducting a cross-country flight in an experimental amateur-built helicopter that was equipped with an automobile engine. When the airplane was about 6 miles from the destination and at a cruise altitude of 500 ft above ground level, the engine sputtered once and then lost all power. The pilot performed an autorotation into a low-lying valley with short trees. During the landing, the main and tail rotors contacted the trees, resulting in substantial damage.
Postaccident testing revealed that one of the two electric fuel pumps did not operate when direct current was applied to it, indicating that the pump had failed during flight. According to the manufacturer, both fuel pumps are to be used for takeoff and landing, but only one fuel pump is necessary during cruise flight. The pilot was using one fuel pump during cruise flight, and the fuel pump that failed was likely the one in use at the time. The fuel pump failure resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
Probable Cause: The failure of an electric fuel pump, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power during cruise flight.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Media:
Vertical Hummingbird N4045 pic.twitter.com/I5BS6mar1m
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) February 15, 2019
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Feb-2019 10:48 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
| 15-Feb-2019 16:47 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
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