Enstrom F28 N57SJ

Summary

On 31 December 2019 at about 19:30 local time, a Enstrom F28 registered N57SJ was involved in an accident near Danbury, Texas, 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

31 December 2019 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Danbury, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Salaika Aviation (07TA)

Coordinates

29.2439, -95.3331

Aircraft

Enstrom F28

Registration

N57SJ

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Danbury → Danbury

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20LA051

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the engine's No.3 intake valve resulting is a loss of engine power and a rollover following the autorotation to soft ground.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot turned the helicopter onto the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern during a training flight when the engine suddenly began to run rough and lost partial power. The flight instructor took the controls and executed an autorotation into a clearing. The skids of the helicopter sank into the soft mud, the rotor blades contacted the ground, and the helicopter rolled onto its side. Examination of the engine revealed that a portion of the No. 3 cylinder intake valve had broken off and migrated into the No. 1 cylinder, where it lodged between the No. 1 cylinder's intake valve and seat, holding that valve in the open position and resulting in the partial loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.