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20060715022609A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Enstrm 280C · Danville, WV · July 15, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 15, 2006 · 09:30 local
Place
Danville, WV
Phase of flight
Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5691B
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC06LA175
Reported as
Enstrm 280C
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,030 total26 in this make and model24 in the last 90 days
N5691BRegistration cancelled Jun 30, 2017 · Enstrom Helicopter 280CS/N 1180 · Built 1979Airframe modelEnstrom Helicopter 280CEngine 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) According to his written statement, the pilot said while on a solo cross country flight he heard a "loud snap" and experienced a 5 to 10 degree right yaw, approximately 7 minutes after takeoff. Approximately 5 to 8 seconds later, he heard a second snapping sound, and again experienced a 5 to 10 degree right yaw. The pilot declared an emergency and elected to perform a precautionary landing at a strip mine. During the approach, he experienced a third snap sound and yaw movement. The helicopter was at an airspeed below 20 knots, and about 8 to 10 feet above the ground, when the pilot heard a bang, and felt ground contact. The helicopter rolled to the left, and the main rotor blades contacted the ground. The main rotor blades contacted the aft portion of the tail boom, severing it just forward of the tail rotor gear box. The left skid collapsed and the airframe received additional substantial damage. The pilot holds a commercial pilot certificate for single and multi-engine land airplanes, and a student pilot certificate for helicopters. He reported 1,060 hours of total flight experience, which includes about 30 hours in helicopters.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ACCORDING TO HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE PILOT SAID WHILE ON A SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT HE HEARD A "LOUD SNAP" AND EXPERIENCED A 5 TO 10 DEGREE RIGHT YAW, APPROXIMATELY 7 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF. APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 8 SECONDS LATER, HE HEARD A SECOND SNAPPING SOUND, AND AGAIN EXPERIENCED A 5 TO 10 DEGREE RIGHT YAW. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND ELECTED TO PERFORM A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT A STRIP MINE. DURING THE APPROACH, HE EXPERIENCED A THIRD SNAP SOUND AND YAW MOVEMENT. THE HELICOPTER WAS AT AN AIRSPEED BELOW 20 KNOTS, AND ABOUT 8 TO 10 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, WHEN THE PILOT HEARD A BANG, AND FELT GROUND CONTACT. THE HELICOPTER ROLLED TO THE LEFT, AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE AFT PORTION OF THE TAIL BOOM, SEVERING IT JUST FORWARD OF THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX. THE LEFT SKID COLLAPSED AND THE AIRFRAME RECEIVED ADDITIONAL SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT HOLDS A COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE FOR SINGLE AND MULTI-ENGINE LAND AIRPLANES, AND A STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE FOR HELICOPTERS. HE REPORTED 1,060 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, WHICH INCLUDES ABOUT 30 HOURS IN HELICOPTERS.

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 NYC06LA175Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportDanville, WVA partial failure of the override clutch assembly. A contributing factor to the accident was the manufacturer's inadequate inspection procedures of the override clutch assembly following a tail rotor strike.Jul 15, 2006 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N5691B · 1

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

Accident 20050812024459APwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft · Saulsville, WV(-23) Upon landing at a heli-pad at southern west Virginia community college, Saulsville, WV the aircraft began a slow yaw to the right at approximately 40 feet AGL. Pilot reported no response when applying left tail rotor pedal and aircraft continued to yaw…Aug 12, 2005 · Minor damage