Enstrom 280FX N280D

Summary

On 27 July 2024 at about 19:50 local time, a Enstrom 280FX registered N280D was involved in an accident near Russellville, Kentucky, 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

27 July 2024 at 19:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Russellville, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Russellville-Logan County (4M7)

Coordinates

36.7996, -86.8109

Aircraft

Enstrom 280FX

Registration

N280D

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1988

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA327

Nobody was injured.

The flight instructor’s failure to maintain sufficient rotor rpm while maneuvering the helicopter low to the ground, which resulted in a loss of control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor uneventfully demonstrated a rapid deceleration maneuver to the fixed-wing pilot-rated passenger into the wind, performed a left pedal turn, and performed another rapid deceleration maneuver (with a tailwind). The flight instructor then initiated another left pedal turn; however, the helicopter failed to turn, and the low-rotor RPM light came on. The flight instructor said that he attempted to recover by lowering the collective and adding full throttle, but the throttle was already fully open. The low-rotor RPM light remained illuminated and engine RPM started to drop. The helicopter landed and slid down a slope adjacent to the runway and came to rest on its left side. This resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor blades and tail cone. The pilot rated passenger provided a similar account of the events and said that after he exited the helicopter, the instructor told him that they had just “settled with power.” The flight instructor reported there were no mechanical deficiencies that contributed to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.