Enstrom 280FX N402TA

Summary

On 15 March 2025 at about 18:00 local time, a Enstrom 280FX registered N402TA was involved in an accident near Waterford, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 March 2025 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Waterford, California, United States

Coordinates

37.6665, -120.6631

Aircraft

Enstrom 280FX

Registration

N402TA

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2006

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR25LA112

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from water while operating at a low altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness video showed the helicopter flying very low over a lake before it impacted the water. During postaccident interviews with news outlets, the pilot stated he and a passenger were flying the helicopter low over clear water, when his “depth perception got a little off”, and he drove the helicopter into the water. The helicopter fuselage, tail boom, and main rotor blades were substantially damaged. The pilot did not complete a NTSB Form 6120.1 Accident/Incident Report.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.