20130125001409I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Enstrom Helicopter 480B · Emily, MN · January 25, 2013

Date: January 25, 2013 · 17:35 local
Place: Emily, MN
Airport: Aitkin Municipal-Steve Kurtz Field
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N145NR
Reported as: Enstrom Helicopter 480B
Reported engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20W
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,130 total54 in this make and model69 in the last 90 days

N145NRRegistered now · Enstrom Helicopter 480BS/N 5096 Airframe modelEnstrom Helicopter 480B

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.

While crusing at 1900 ft MSL, 100 indicated airspeed approx. 100 knots, pilot stated that aircraft pitched up, with a simultaneous bang, 70 degree left yaw and then and then nose down 40 degrees. Pilot then noticed puff of smoke from exhaust. Pilot stated that he lowered collective and checked throttle to be sure it was full open and engine was attempting to spool up again. Engine instruments then all went to zero and engine was in low RPM. Pilot landed on skids, firmly on pavement and slid about 90 feet to stop.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE CRUSING AT 1900 FT MSL, 100 INDICATED AIRSPEED APPROX. 100 KNOTS, PILOT STATED THAT AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP, WITH A SIMULTANEOUS BANG, 70 DEGREE LEFT YAW AND THEN AND THEN NOSE DOWN 40 DEGREES. PILOT THEN NOTICED PUFF OF SMOKE FROM EXHAUST. PILOT STATED THAT HE LOWERED COLLECTIVE AND CHECKED THROTTLE TO BE SURE IT WAS FULL OPEN AND ENGINE WAS ATTEMPTING TO SPOOL UP AGAIN. ENGINE INSTRUMENTS THEN ALL WENT TO ZERO AND ENGINE WAS IN LOW RPM. PILOT LANDED ON SKIDS, FIRMLY ON PAVEMENT AND SLID ABOUT 90 FEET TO STOP.