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20141208023699A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Enstrom 280FX · Fort Lupton, CO · December 8, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 8, 2014 · 11:15 local
Place
Fort Lupton, CO
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N409LH
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN15LA084
Reported as
Enstrom 280FX
Reported engine
Lycoming HIO-360-F1AD
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
57 total55 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days
N409LHRegistration cancelled May 30, 2018 · Enstrom 280FXS/N 2014 · Built 1987Airframe modelEnstrom 280FXEngine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

On December 8, 2014 at approximately 1115 local time, a Enstrom 280FX helicopter, N409LH was substantially damaged upon impact following a total loss of power.

The student pilot was on a cross country solo training flight when the accident occurred and received minor injuries.

Visual meteorological conditions existed at this time, weather was not a factor to the accident.

The intended flight started from erie airport (keik) 10:15 am local time to greeley (kgxy) to platte valley (18V) to fort collins (kfnl) and back to the erie airport (keik).

The pilot stated; "departed greeley at approximately 10:45 am, and at a cruising altitude of 5700 MSL and 80 mph, an unusual movement was detected in the cyclic control. The motion was 2 or 3 small knocks to the left and rear and then re-center. The movement was sporadic, occurring no more than once a minute. Each time this occurred the pilot confirmed all of the gages for proper operation.

When insight of the platte valley airport the engine sputtered and then quit completely".

The pilot performed an autorotation to an empty field. The pilot flared the helicopter to reduce airspeed and the tail struck the ground causing the rotor blades to flex severing the tail rotor from the boom.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 8, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 1115 LOCAL TIME, A ENSTROM 280FX HELICOPTER, N409LH WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED UPON IMPACT FOLLOWING A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER.

THE STUDENT PILOT WAS ON A CROSS COUNTRY SOLO TRAINING FLIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AND RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.

VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED AT THIS TIME, WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT.

THE INTENDED FLIGHT STARTED FROM ERIE AIRPORT (KEIK) 10:15 AM LOCAL TIME TO GREELEY (KGXY) TO PLATTE VALLEY (18V) TO FORT COLLINS (KFNL) AND BACK TO THE ERIE AIRPORT (KEIK).

THE PILOT STATED; "DEPARTED GREELEY AT APPROXIMATELY 10:45 AM, AND AT A CRUISING ALTITUDE OF 5700 MSL AND 80 MPH, AN UNUSUAL MOVEMENT WAS DETECTED IN THE CYCLIC CONTROL. THE MOTION WAS 2 OR 3 SMALL KNOCKS TO THE LEFT AND REAR AND THEN RE-CENTER. THE MOVEMENT WAS SPORADIC, OCCURRING NO MORE THAN ONCE A MINUTE. EACH TIME THIS OCCURRED THE PILOT CONFIRMED ALL OF THE GAGES FOR PROPER OPERATION.

WHEN INSIGHT OF THE PLATTE VALLEY AIRPORT THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND THEN QUIT COMPLETELY".

THE PILOT PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION TO AN EMPTY FIELD. THE PILOT FLARED THE HELICOPTER TO REDUCE AIRSPEED AND THE TAIL STRUCK THE GROUND CAUSING THE ROTOR BLADES TO FLEX SEVERING THE TAIL ROTOR FROM THE BOOM.

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 CEN15LA084Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFort Lupton, COThe loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.Dec 8, 2014 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N409LH · 1

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

Accident 20090420003759ALanding · Erie, CO(-23) During training in preparation for a private pilot certificate, instructor initiated a simulated power failure. Normal autorotational descent was accomplished. Power recovery was initiated by increasing throttle. Engine did not develop full power. It…Apr 20, 2009 · Substantial damage