Enstrom 280 N9285

Summary

On 21 August 2021 at about 17:30 local time, a Enstrom 280 registered N9285 was involved in an accident near Port Orange, Florida, 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

21 August 2021 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Port Orange, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Spruce Creek (7FL6)

Coordinates

29.0798, -81.0471

Aircraft

Enstrom 280

Registration

N9285

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA339

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the tail rotor drive shaft at the coupling due to torsionally applied shear stress.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a local flight when just prior to touchdown, the helicopter began to spin to the right and made an uncommanded climb and spin to the right. The pilot applied full left rudder pedal, but the helicopter continued to spin to the right. He lowered the collective and landed hard on the skids, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed the tail rotor driveshaft was separated and free to spin inside the coupling. Metallurgical examination of the driveshaft revealed the bolt holes in the driveshaft were distorted, consistent with torsional shear-stress in the clockwise direction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.