Amateur-built HELICYCLE accident near Mesa, Arizona, January 22, 2013
On January 22, 2013 at about 9:00 pm local time, a amateur-built HELICYCLE (helicopter), registered N143PG, was substantially damaged in an accident during prior to flight near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly install and secure the wire connecting the electronic speed controller unit to the fuel controller actuator motor, which resulted in the wire’s disconnection in flight and the resultant partial loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 2013 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built HELICYCLE
- Registration
- N143PG · registry record · serial 3-27
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while in cruise flight the helicycle's engine lost partial power. Unable to maintain altitude he maneuvered to find a safe landing area, and autorotated onto a residential street. A witness reported that before the helicycle landed, it was oscillating and sounded as if the engine was cutting in and out. Postaccident examination of the helicycle revealed that the "B" wire, which runs between the electronic speed controller unit and fuel controller actuator motor, separated from the connection during cruise flight. The pilot reported that if the fuel controller actuator motor loses power, the engine would automatically go to a minimum fuel stop position and flight idle. The pilot further reported that there were no parts failures, but that he had installed the "B" wire without an additional strain relief at the connector, which allowed the wire to disconnect from the system during normal operations. The pilot reported that the accident can be prevented by installing a second parallel wire between the fuel controller actuator motor and the electronic speed controller unit.
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
What happened, in order
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during approach
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › (general) › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › Misc wiring › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 370 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 14, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 371 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 15, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Solar T62-32 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHD Chandler AZ at 8:45 pm
- Destination: FFZ Mesa AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 9:05 pm from FFZ, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR13LA099.