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19971024030949A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Enstrm F-28C · Harrisburg, PA · October 24, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 24, 1997 · 13:35 local
Place
Harrisburg, PA
Airport
Capital City
Phase of flight
Pwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1944J
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC98FA018
Reported as
Enstrm F28C
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO360E1AD
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,575 total1,300 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N1944JRegistration cancelled Sep 18, 2017 · Enstrom F-28CS/N 370 · Built 1976Airframe modelEnstrom F-28CEngine modelLycoming HIO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The helicopter was purchased and flown about 1 hour to another airport. The following day the pilot departed on a ferry flight. About 5 minutes after takeoff, the engine lost power when the RPM dropped to 1900 and the pilot entered autorotation. During the descent the engine continued to idle and the cabin filled with smoke. The helicopter landed hard and the main rotor blades struck the tailboom. The last annual inspection occurred 53 months before the accident. A special flight permit was issued by the FAA for the ferry flight. The helicopter engine was overhauled 33 months before the accident, and 3.9 hours had been logged on the engine from the date of overhaul, to the date of the helicopters purchase. At the time of the accident the engine had accumulated a total of 6.7 hours since overhaul. Examination of the engine revealed the forward side of the #2 pistion was melted and eroded away, and a hole had melted through the pistion. An FAA publication described detonation as spontaneous combustion which can burn a hole completely through a piston.

As the FAA filed it

THE HELICOPTER WAS PURCHASED AND FLOWN ABOUT 1 HOUR TO ANOTHER AIRPORT. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE PILOT DEPARTED ON A FERRY FLIGHT. ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE LOST POWER WHEN THE RPM DROPPED TO 1900 AND THE PILOT ENTERED AUTOROTATION. DURING THE DESCENT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO IDLE AND THE CABIN FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TAILBOOM. THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION OCCURRED 53 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. A SPECIAL FLIGHT PERMIT WAS ISSUED BY THE FAA FOR THE FERRY FLIGHT. THE HELICOPTER ENGINE WAS OVERHAULED 33 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, AND 3.9 HOURS HAD BEEN LOGGED ON THE ENGINE FROM THE DATE OF OVERHAUL, TO THE DATE OF THE HELICOPTERS PURCHASE. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE ENGINE HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 6.7 HOURS SINCE OVERHAUL. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE FORWARD SIDE OF THE #2 PISTION WAS MELTED AND ERODED AWAY, AND A HOLE HAD MELTED THROUGH THE PISTION. AN FAA PUBLICATION DESCRIBED DETONATION AS SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION WHICH CAN BURN A HOLE COMPLETELY THROUGH A PISTON.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC98FA018Accident · No injuriesField investigationFinal reportFairview, PAinadequate maintenance, which led to detonation and a melted piston, and subsequent power loss.Oct 24, 1997 · Substantial damage