Enstrom F-28C N51716
20 May 2002 · Stockton, California, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 20 May 2002 at about 00:20 local time, a Enstrom F-28C registered N51716 was involved in an accident near Stockton, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously 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 00:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Stockton, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 37.8833, -121.4500
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F-28C
- Registration
- N51716
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Stockton → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX02LA169
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from the water tower during takeoff. Also causal was the pilot's selection of a confined area for the landing and subsequent takeoff.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During the takeoff sequence, a gust of wind pushed the helicopter into a water tower near the refueling pad. The pilot had been drying trees in an orchard and landed in a parking lot to refuel. During takeoff from the parking lot, the main rotor blades struck the tank and the helicopter fell to the ground. It impacted in a flat attitude before rolling onto its side. Rain accumulation had reduced the pilot's visibility through the windshield. The pilot was not able to attain any visual cues on the wind velocity and directional information from inside the helicopter. High obstructions surrounded the takeoff area and were located within 15 feet of the rotor diameter.
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 Apr 2002 | Enstrom F-28C | Hot Springs, Montana, United States | - | No 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jul 2002 | Ayres S2R-T34 | Firebaugh, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Nov 2002 | Beechcraft A36TC | San Andreas, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 5 May 2002 | Sierra RAF 2000 GTX-SE | Lompoc, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 2002 | Trenti RV-4 | Jacumba, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 Feb 2002 | Thunder and Colt COLT 120 A | Moreno Valley, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 2002 | Pzl-Bielsko SZD-42-2 JANTAR | Hemet, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |