Enstrom F-28C N5689B

Summary

On 26 February 2011 at about 19:00 local time, a Enstrom F-28C registered N5689B, operated by Disk Copy Inc, was involved in an accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 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

26 February 2011 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Pierce, Florida, United States

Coordinates

27.4393, -80.5609

Aircraft

Enstrom F-28C

Registration

N5689B

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Disk Copy Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Pierce → Fort Pierce

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11CA166

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that the fuel gauge indicated one-eighth to one-quarter full on takeoff. At an altitude of approximately 200 feet, the low fuel pressure light illuminated, followed by a total loss of engine power. The pilot performed a 180-degree autorotation to a parking lot, and the helicopter landed hard, resulting in substantial damage to the left skid and tail boom. During a postaccident examination, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector drained approximately 3 ounces of fuel from the gascolator. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter, and that he ran it out of fuel by trusting the gauge.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.