Enstrom F28 N63VP

Summary

On 20 May 2012 at about 15:00 local time, a Enstrom F28 registered N63VP, operated by Michael W. Lattin, was involved in an accident near Twin Falls, Idaho, 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

20 May 2012 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Twin Falls, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

42.4833, -114.4833

Aircraft

Enstrom F28

Registration

N63VP

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Michael W. Lattin

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Elko → Twin Falls

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA219

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inability to maintain helicopter control during cruise flight due to the failure of the No. 2 main rotor Lamiflex bearing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to operate the helicopter with a known deficiency and the helicopter’s noncompliance with the mandatory scheduled inspection of the main rotor bearings.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that on a previous flight, he encountered an uncommanded roll, so he checked the three main rotor Lamiflex bearings prior to departure. He said one bearing showed no indication of a pending failure, the second showed some indication of approaching failure, and the third showed a minor indication that it was beginning to fail. From past experience, the pilot said that he believed that he still had several hours before the bearings would fail and that he could safely proceed with the flight. A few miles from the intended destination, a vibration started and became progressively worse to the point where the pilot was losing control of the helicopter. The pilot subsequently made what he described as a “controlled crash landing,” which resulted in substantial damage to the helicopter. A postaccident examination revealed that the No. 2 main rotor Lamiflex bearing failed, which resulted in the loss of control. A review of maintenance logbooks found that the helicopter was not in compliance with either its annual inspection requirement or with FAA Airworthiness Directive 94-17-15, which required repetitive inspections of the helicopter’s main rotor Lamiflex bearings.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.