20030510008179A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Enstrm 280C · Panama City, AL · May 10, 2003

Date: May 10, 2003 · 11:00 local
Place: Panama City, AL
Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N51752
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA03CA106
Reported as: Enstrm 280C
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,700 total25 in this make and model42 in the last 90 days

N51752Registration cancelled Apr 18, 2018 · Enstrom Helicopter 280CS/N 1150 Airframe modelEnstrom Helicopter 280C

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) Pilot stated: on take off pilot lifted helicopter to hover and started take off, then helicopter started to lose altitude. Pilot added power but aircraft was still going down and rotor RPM was decaying. Pilot landed in a pond approx 10' deep. Pilot said wind was changing directions and may have got a tail wind on take off.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED: ON TAKE OFF PILOT LIFTED HELICOPTER TO HOVER AND STARTED TAKE OFF, THEN HELICOPTER STARTED TO LOSE ALTITUDE. PILOT ADDED POWER BUT AIRCRAFT WAS STILL GOING DOWN AND ROTOR RPM WAS DECAYING. PILOT LANDED IN A POND APPROX 10' DEEP. PILOT SAID WIND WAS CHANGING DIRECTIONS AND MAY HAVE GOT A TAIL WIND ON TAKE OFF.

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 MIA03CA106Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportPanama City Bch, FLThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm and altitude during takeoff which resulted in the helicopter impacting the water during a descent in an attempt to maintain rotor rpm.May 10, 2003 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N51752 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19900704041129IPwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate · West Jordan, UTEngine quit. Auto-rotated into field. Both sets of point cam followers of magneto were melted.Jul 4, 1990 · Minor damage