Enstrom F-28C N5694Z

Summary

On 10 June 2002 at about 15:30 local time, a Enstrom F-28C registered N5694Z, operated by Falcon Helicopter, Inc., was involved in an accident near Medicine Bow, Wyoming, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 June 2002 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Medicine Bow, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

41.7333, -106.2000

Aircraft

Enstrom F-28C

Registration

N5694Z

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Falcon Helicopter, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Laramie → Rawlins

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN02LA051

1 person was seriously injured.

the unsuitable terrain encountered during the emergency autorotation, following a partial loss of engine power. Factors contributing to this accident were fuel contamination (water), the low altitude, the high winds, and the tailwind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was conducting pipeline patrol and marking the positions of pipeline valves using a global positioning satellite receiver. The pilot said weather was clear but windy. Approximately 1 hour into the flight, the pilot made a turn to the west to come around over a location, and continued in the turn back to the east downwind. The pilot said he rolled out of the turn and started to pull some power for the turn back to the right to pick up the pipeline again when the helicopter yawed right and started losing power. The pilot said he immediately "lowered the collective, added throttle, and turned left to the north." The pilot said he was approximately 100 feet above the ground and had an airspeed of about 60 miles per hour. "With the bank and the autorotation I was able to stop forward motion and ground speed. I flared the helicopter, pulled pitch, and hit flat." The pilot said he shut down the engine after impact. "As far as I could tell the power never came back during the autorotation." An examination of the helicopter's fuel system showed water in the left and right fuel tanks. No other anomalies were found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.