Enstrom 280C N51763

Summary

On 3 July 1996 at about 17:55 local time, a Enstrom 280C registered N51763, operated by Denver Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near Castle Rock, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 July 1996 at 17:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Castle Rock, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.3694, -104.8500

Aircraft

Enstrom 280C

Registration

N51763

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Denver Helicopters, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Larkspur → Englewood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW96LA291

Nobody was injured.

Total failure of the magneto. A factor was the pilot operating the helicopter with a known deficiency.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The engine lost power and an autorotation was made. The helicopter was substantially damaged during the run-on landing on a rough field. Postaccident testing disclosed that when the magneto was rotated, none of the 12 leads produced a spark. When the distributor cap was removed, it was noted that none of the points opened when the magneto was rotated. An FAA inspector heard the engine missing on the day prior to the accident. He suggested to the pilot that the engine be checked before further flight. The pilot told the inspector that the condition was 'common on Enstrom helicopters when the engine is hot.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.