Amateur-built Exec accident near Conroe, Texas, July 20, 2004
On July 20, 2004 at about 11:36 pm local time, a amateur-built Exec (helicopter), registered N342RD, was destroyed in an accident near Conroe, Texas (Lone Star Executive Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to the tripped fuel pump circuit breaker which resulted in the failure of the electric fuel pump.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2004 · about 11:36 pm local time
- Place
- Conroe, Texas · Lone Star Executive Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Exec
- Registration
- N342RD · no longer on the register · serial 4162
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 400-hour pilot reported that while hovering approximately 20 feet above ground level (agl) at an airspeed of 20 miles per hour (mph), the engine lost power. Subsequently, the pilot initiated an autorotational landing to the ground. Examination of helicopter revealed the circuit breaker for the electric fuel pump was found "tripped." No other anomalies were noted throughout the engine or airframe. The pilot stated that the fuel injector system would not function without positive pressure from the fuel pump to the fuel injector.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: March 18, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 65 hours
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Mazda UNK (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Conroe TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.