Enstrom F-28C N51770

Summary

On 7 April 1999 at about 00:30 local time, a Enstrom F-28C registered N51770 was involved in an accident near Pendleton, Oregon, United States. One person was 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

7 April 1999 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Pendleton, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

45.7305, -118.7902

Aircraft

Enstrom F-28C

Registration

N51770

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA99LA048

Nobody was injured.

A loss of power due to water contamination of the fuel. Factors include the inability of the helicopter to perform a successful autorotation immediately after takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During takeoff from the refueling pad, the helicopter's engine lost power and the pilot attempted an autorotation. Because the aircraft did not yet have sufficient airspeed or altitude to complete a successful autorotation, it landed hard and the main rotor blades flexed downward and impacted the tail boom. It was later determined that water contamination had accidentally been transferred from a portable refueling barrel to the aircraft's fuel system during hot refueling (with engine still running). It could not be determined how water was introduced into the refueling barrel.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.