Enstrom F-28C N51767

Summary

On 24 April 2013 at about 00:00 local time, a Enstrom F-28C registered N51767, operated by P & N Corp, was involved in an accident near Lanesboro, Iowa, United States. 2 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.

Date

24 April 2013 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lanesboro, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

42.1614, -94.6339

Aircraft

Enstrom F-28C

Registration

N51767

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

P & N Corp

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Carroll → Carroll

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13CA238

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter while making an off-airport landing with a gusty tailwind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that his door opened during the low-altitude aerial observation flight. The pilot stated that he was unable to close the door in flight due to the wind, so he decided to make an off-airport landing to close and latch the door. He stated that when he initiated a turn, the door opened, so he continued the flight in a direction such that the wind kept the door closed; he believed this direction would result in a headwind. The pilot stated that during the landing, the helicopter lost lift at an altitude of 5 to 10 feet above the ground. The helicopter impacted the ground, which resulted in the main rotor blade severing the tail boom. Ground scars and recorded wind information indicated that the landing was performed with a gusty tailwind.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.