20060315005519A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Enstrm 280F · Sterling, CO · March 15, 2006

Date: March 15, 2006 · 10:00 local
Place: Sterling, CO
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N811Z
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN06CA048
Reported as: Enstrm 280F
Reported engine: Lycoming HIO360*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,000 total150 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N811ZRegistered now · Enstrom Helicopter 280FS/N 1508 · Built 1982 Airframe modelEnstrom Helicopter 280F Engine modelLycoming HI0-360 seriesTurbo-shaft

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 was conducting an aerial photography flight (photographing eagles nests located on canyon walls). Aircraft was hovering in a narrow box canyon when it experienced inordinately severe gusting winds. The sudden winds caused the aircraft to yaw to the right coupled with a severe downdraft. Pilot veered off to the left to avoid impact with the canyon wall and headed straight ahead to a controlled emergency landing. The landing zone had a 30 degree slope. On landing the left skid broke off and the main rotor blades impacted the terrain. Substantial damage. No injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FLIGHT (PHOTOGRAPHING EAGLES NESTS LOCATED ON CANYON WALLS). AIRCRAFT WAS HOVERING IN A NARROW BOX CANYON WHEN IT EXPERIENCED INORDINATELY SEVERE GUSTING WINDS. THE SUDDEN WINDS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO YAW TO THE RIGHT COUPLED WITH A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT. PILOT VEERED OFF TO THE LEFT TO AVOID IMPACT WITH THE CANYON WALL AND HEADED STRAIGHT AHEAD TO A CONTROLLED EMERGENCY LANDING. THE LANDING ZONE HAD A 30 DEGREE SLOPE. ON LANDING THE LEFT SKID BROKE OFF AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO INJURIES.

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 DEN06CA048Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportPeetz, COThe pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering resulting in an impact with terrain. Contributing factors were the gusty winds, downdrafts, and box canyon.Mar 15, 2006 · Substantial damage