Enstrom F-28C N631DP

Summary

On 27 September 2013 at about 23:38 local time, a Enstrom F-28C registered N631DP, operated by Heritage Rotors LLC, was involved in an accident near Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were on board. One person on the ground also died. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 September 2013 at 23:38

Classification

Accident

Location

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.9914, -76.4667

Aircraft

Enstrom F-28C

Registration

N631DP

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

Heritage Rotors LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bloomsburg → Bloomsburg

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA13LA433

Injuries not recorded.

The relieved pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the rotating main rotor blades after he exited the helicopter.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot/owner had just taken control of the helicopter from another pilot. As the relieved pilot was walking away from the helicopter and between the 10- and 11-o'clock position forward of the helicopter, he came into contact with a rotating main rotor blade. The pilot/owner stated that, when exiting the helicopter, it was the company's practice to disengage the rotor drive system and secure the collective control. In this condition, the rotor blades droop below the normal height, and the drooping is most pronounced in the 9- to 12-o'clock position of the rotor disk. According to the helicopter manufacturer representative, the main rotor height can vary depending on how the helicopter landing gear was serviced. In addition, depending on the position of the cyclic, the main rotor can descend lower than 6 feet when the main rotor is operating. It is likely that the pilot/owner unintentionally moved the cyclic, which resulted in the rotor blade descending, and, in combination with the rotor droop, the main rotor blade would have been low enough to strike the relieved pilot's head.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.