20020519013559A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Enstrm F-28C · Stockton, CA · May 19, 2002

Date: May 19, 2002 · 17:20 local
Place: Stockton, CA
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N51716
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX02LA169
Reported as: Enstrm F28C
Fatal injuries: 0

N51716Registration cancelled Sep 16, 2002 · Enstrom F-28CS/N 424 · Built 1978 Airframe modelEnstrom F-28C Engine 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.

(-23) After being refueled, pilot lifted rotorcraft off from landing zone and hovered for a short period of time, negotiating a slight backwards movement to avoid powerlines in front of the landing zone. Abrupt crosswind caused the rotorcraft to move to the left. Subsequently, main rotor blades struck a large water tower and rotorcraft plummeted to the ground.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AFTER BEING REFUELED, PILOT LIFTED ROTORCRAFT OFF FROM LANDING ZONE AND HOVERED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, NEGOTIATING A SLIGHT BACKWARDS MOVEMENT TO AVOID POWERLINES IN FRONT OF THE LANDING ZONE. ABRUPT CROSSWIND CAUSED THE ROTORCRAFT TO MOVE TO THE LEFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK A LARGE WATER TOWER AND ROTORCRAFT PLUMMETED TO THE GROUND.

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 LAX02LA169Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportStockton, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from the water tower during takeoff. Also causal was the pilot's selection of a confined area for the landing and subsequent takeoff.May 20, 2002 · Substantial damage