Enstrom F 28C N51778

Summary

On 14 June 2015 at about 20:00 local time, a Enstrom F 28C registered N51778 was involved in an accident near Romeoville, Illinois, 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

14 June 2015 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Romeoville, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Lewis University (LOT)

Coordinates

41.6072, -88.0875

Aircraft

Enstrom F 28C

Registration

N51778

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Romeoville → Romeoville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15CA274

Nobody was injured.

The certified flight instructor (CFI) did not maintain directional control during a downwind emergency running landing to soft muddy terrain, which resulted in a dynamic rollover. Contributing to the accident was the CFI's delayed or insufficient remedial action when the pilot receiving instruction did not control the rotor RPM during hovering flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The certified flight instructor (CFI) was giving flight instruction in the piston engine powered helicopter to an experienced airplane pilot, who had a total of about 2 hours of helicopter flight experience. The pilot receiving instruction was hovering the helicopter while oriented into the wind and he allowed the rotor RPM to decrease. While the helicopter was turning to the left, the CFI took over control, but was unable to regain RPM. The helicopter continued to turn to the left and the CFI conducted a downwind emergency running landing to soft muddy turf. After a ground run of about 15 to 20 feet the helicopter began to turn to the right and skids of the helicopter dug into the soft turf. The helicopter rolled 90 degrees onto its left side and both main rotor blades impacted terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system, transmission, tail rotor, tail boom and fuselage. The CFI reported that he had been too slow in taking remedial action. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The characteristics displayed by the helicopter were indicative of it encountering a dynamic rollover.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.