Enstrom F28 N5691Y

Summary

On 7 October 2018 at about 17:40 local time, a Enstrom F28 registered N5691Y, operated by J&J Shop Heliair LLC., was involved in an accident near Bridgeville, Delaware, United States. 4 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

7 October 2018 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Bridgeville, Delaware, United States

Coordinates

38.7153, -75.5706

Aircraft

Enstrom F28

Registration

N5691Y

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

J&J Shop Heliair LLC.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bridgeville → Bridgeville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA19TA005

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's mismanagement of collective pitch control during takeoff from an area with numerous obstacles, which resulted in the helicopter entering a low rotor rpm state and a forced hard landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot had performed numerous local sightseeing helicopter flights the day of the accident. During the accident flight lift off from the field with power lines and farm equipment nearby, the pilot increased the throttle to the maximum engine and rotor rpm and began a climbing left turn toward power lines, during which he noticed the rotor rpm slowing. He slightly decreased collective pitch and further increased the throttle, but the rotor rpm did not increase. The pilot then increased collective pitch even farther as the helicopter cleared the power lines, which exacerbated the low rotor rpm state and was contrary to guidance published in the helicopter's pilot's operating handbook. The pilot's power management allowed the rotor rpm to decay below a point at which sustained flight was possible. Subsequently, the helicopter descended and impacted an open field hard, which resulted in substantial damage to the tailboom and tail rotor. The pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter, which was confirmed by a postaccident examination and test run of the helicopter's engine. The pilot's mismanagement of collective pitch control led to the helicopter entering a low rotor rpm state and its subsequent inability to maintain flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.