# Accident 19971206037439A: Enstrm F28F, John Day, OR, December 6, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 6, 1997, 14:00 local time - Place: John Day, OR - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Operator: H5HG - Location: 44.4207° N, 118.9396° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.4207&lon=-118.9396&mi=10 - Aircraft: N171HH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N171HH) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Enstrom F-28F (registry code 3300412, https://openairdocs.org/model/enstrom-f-28f) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming HIO-360 series (registry code 41524, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-hio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ENSTRM F28F - Reported engine: LYC HIO360F1AD - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 16,000 total, 400 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA98LA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA021) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971206037439A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON DECEMBER 6, 1997, ABOUT 1400 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, N171HH, AN ENSTROM F-28F HELICOPER, OPERATED BY THE OWNER/PILOT, IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR JOHN DAY, OREGON, AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE FORCED LANDING WAS PRECIPITATED BY A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE MANUEVERING. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM JOHN DAY ABOUT ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 137. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM SEEDING ABOUT 20 ACRES, AND LANDED TO REFILL THE SEED BUCKET. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THE BUCKET WAS FILLED. HE LIFTED OFF AND HEADED DOWNHILL TOWARDS THE WORKING AREA. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE NOTICED SOME ROTOR DROOP AND LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND TWISTED ON SOME MORE THROTTLE TO GET THE RPM BACK. THE PILOT STATED THAT NOTHING HAPPENED AND THE THROTTLE HIT THE STOP. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS AWARE THAT HE WAS GOING TO IMPACT THE TERRAIN AND SLOWED THE FORWARD SPEED. THE SEED BUCKET SWUNG FORWARD AND THE HELICOPTER LANDED ON TOP OF THE BUCKET THE HELICOPTER BOUNCED TWICE DOWNHILL AND SUBSEQUENTLY CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. TWO FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTORS FROM THE PORTLAND FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE, HILLSBORO, OREONN, INSPECTED THE ENGINE. THE INSPECTORS REPORTED THAT HE ENGINE WAS PREPARED FOR A TEST RUN. AFTER THE PREPARATION, THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND RAN FOR ABOUT FIVE TO TEN MINUTES WITHOUT ANY NOTED PROBLEMS BEFORE IT WAS SHUT DOWN. FUEL SAMPLES WERE TAKEN AND FILTERS WERE TAKEN AND FILTERS WERE CHECKED WITH NO CONTAMINANTS FOUND. THE FUEL MIXTURE WAS CHECKED AND FOUND OKAY. CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED THROUGHOUT THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT PROVIDED HIS CALCULATIONS FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE HELICOPTER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CALCULATIONS INDICATED THAT THE HELICOPTERS WEIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY 76 POUNDS UNDER THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT OF 2600 POUNDS. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB SEA98LA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA021), Dec 6, 1997: Enstrom F-28F (N171HH), John Day, OR, substantial damage. Probable cause: a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ## Other reports on N171HH (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20120417006029I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120417006029I), Apr 17, 2012: Enstrom F-28F (N171HH), Pendleton, OR, Minor damage. On landing the engine lost power and the helicopter made harder than normal touch down. The left rear fitting fractured at the skid tube. The pilot thought the… - [Accident 19980330010129A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980330010129A), Mar 30, 1998: Enstrm F28F (N171HH), Baker, OR, Substantial damage. Refueling on a road. Lifted to clear road for traffic. Vibration caused loss of control. Suspect delaminataed rotor (.4)the pilot stated that he had lifted off… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.