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20080624841799A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Enstrm 480B · Marinette, WI · June 24, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 24, 2008 · 08:40 local
Place
Marinette, WI
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N480PD
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI08FA172
Reported as
Enstrm 480B
Reported engine
Allison 250C20W
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
7,409 total673 in this make and model109 in the last 90 days

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) On June 24, 2008 at 0840 CDT an Enstrom helicopter, model 480B, registered to Enstrom helicopter corporation of menominee, Michigan suffered an inflight structural failure of the helicopter's tailcone. The aircraft was flying under a special airworthiness certificate with an experimental category for the purpose of market survey and crew training. While performing main rotor blade tracking and trim checks at vne the aircraft violently pitched down and rolled to the left. Control was regained although tail rotor control was lost. The aircraft was landed in a field adjacent to Marinette, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. A flight plan was not filed. There were no injuries to the commercial pilot or the flight test mechanic. After the flight it was determined the aircraft was being operated at 6 KTS over the calculated vne and 80 lbs over gross weight. A pre-existing, 3 inch by 2.5 inch by .125 inch. Dent existed on the lower right hand side of the tailcone inthe area of the failure.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JUNE 24, 2008 AT 0840 CDT AN ENSTROM HELICOPTER, MODEL 480B, REGISTERED TO ENSTROM HELICOPTER CORPORATION OF MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN SUFFERED AN INFLIGHT STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE HELICOPTER'S TAILCONE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING UNDER A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE WITH AN EXPERIMENTAL CATEGORY FOR THE PURPOSE OF MARKET SURVEY AND CREW TRAINING. WHILE PERFORMING MAIN ROTOR BLADE TRACKING AND TRIM CHECKS AT VNE THE AIRCRAFT VIOLENTLY PITCHED DOWN AND ROLLED TO THE LEFT. CONTROL WAS REGAINED ALTHOUGH TAIL ROTOR CONTROL WAS LOST. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED IN A FIELD ADJACENT TO MARINETTE, WISCONSIN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE COMMERCIAL PILOT OR THE FLIGHT TEST MECHANIC. AFTER THE FLIGHT IT WAS DETERMINED THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AT 6 KTS OVER THE CALCULATED VNE AND 80 LBS OVER GROSS WEIGHT. A PRE-EXISTING, 3 INCH BY 2.5 INCH BY .125 INCH. DENT EXISTED ON THE LOWER RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE TAILCONE INTHE AREA OF THE FAILURE.

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 CHI08FA172Accident · No injuriesField investigationFinal reportMarinette, WIThe pilot inadvertently operating the helicopter at a gross weight greater than its maximum allowable operating weight, and flying the helicopter at an airspeed greater than the never-to-exceed speed for the helicopter’s gross weight condition, resulting in…Jun 24, 2008 · Substantial damage