Enstrom 280FX N899JS

Summary

On 15 February 2024 at about 00:10 local time, a Enstrom 280FX registered N899JS was involved in an accident near Lewistown, Montana, United States. One person was 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

15 February 2024 at 00:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Lewistown, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Lewistown Muni (LWT)

Coordinates

47.0218, -109.4950

Aircraft

Enstrom 280FX

Registration

N899JS

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1989

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

WPR24LA090

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s encounter with low light conditions and snow-covered terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane rated pilot reported that he departed the airport traffic pattern with the intention of practicing helicopter maneuvers at about 200 ft. above ground level (agl) near sundown. The pilot reported that he felt a loud bang while maneuvering and realized he had “impacted the ground” without warning and the helicopter immediately rolled onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tailboom. The pilot reported that he encountered a “VFR white out” in “flat light” conditions while maneuvering over snow-covered terrain. He also reported that he was not maintaining a safe altitude. The pilot reported that he had accumulated 59.5 total flight hours in rotorcraft; however, the pilot did not possess a helicopter rating. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.