Enstrom F-28C N51769
20 April 2002 · Hot Springs, Montana, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 20 April 2002 at about 21:00 local time, a Enstrom F-28C registered N51769 was involved in an accident near Hot Springs, Montana, United States. 3 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.
The record
- Date
- at 21:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hot Springs, Montana, United States
- Coordinates
- 48.1895, -114.3808
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F-28C
- Registration
- N51769
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Hot Springs → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA02LA075
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for unfavorable wind conditions. Factors include unfavorable/shifting winds, and a tailwind gust.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was taking off in variable winds in a helicopter that was near its maximum certified gross weight. Just as the aircraft started to move forward out of a hover, the wind shifted from a headwind to a tailwind gust. The pilot was unable to adequately compensate for the unfavorable wind change, and the helicopter impacted the terrain with sufficient force for the main rotor to come in contact with the tail boom.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Enstrom F-28C accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Nov 2002 | Enstrom F-28C | Morrison, Colorado, United States | David Copp | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 May 2002 | Enstrom F-28C | Stockton, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Jun 2002 | Enstrom F-28C | Medicine Bow, Wyoming, United States | Falcon Helicopter, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Mar 2001 | Enstrom F-28C | Orlando, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Mar 2001 | Enstrom F-28C | Hollister, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 2003 | Enstrom F-28C | Waverly, Iowa, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Jun 2002 | Cessna 180K | Helena, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 2002 | Thurmond MONI | Laurel, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 2002 | Cessna 172RG | Billings, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Mar 2002 | Piper PA-18-150 | Fort Peck, Montana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 2002 | Mooney M20E | Glasgow, Montana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 2002 | Cessna 120 | Missoula, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |