Enstrom F-28C N552CS

Summary

On 23 November 2002 at about 01:30 local time, a Enstrom F-28C registered N552CS, operated by David Copp, was involved in an accident near Morrison, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and 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

23 November 2002 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Morrison, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.6417, -105.1667

Aircraft

Enstrom F-28C

Registration

N552CS

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

David Copp

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Longmont → Morrison

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DEN03LA018

1 person had minor injuries.

the pilot not maintaining clearance from the telephone lines during landing. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot not being able to see the telephone lines, the low altitude, and the dark night.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said his helicopter was approaching a landing area, located just east of a restaurant, from the south, in night visual meteorological conditions. During the approach, the pilot could not see the lighted flag on top of the restaurant, thus he could not determine the wind direction or velocity for landing. He executed a go around and began maneuvering so that he could approach the landing area from the east. The pilot said that at the "northern most point of the go around, a tail rotor strike was felt." The tail rotor struck telephone lines along the north side of a road. The pilot immediately put the helicopter down hard into a ditch alongside the road, breaking the left skid, crushing the right skid and fuselage upward, bending and twisting the main rotor blades, and bending the tail rotor blades. An examination of the helicopter's systems revealed no anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.