20190813015889I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Enstrom F-28C · Marion, IA · August 13, 2019

Date: August 13, 2019 · 19:00 local
Place: Marion, IA
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N35ZE
Reported as: Enstrom F-28C
Reported engine: Lycoming HIO-360-E1BD
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,510 total205 in this make and model300 in the last 90 days

N35ZERegistered now · Enstrom F-28CS/N 508-2R · Built 1981 Airframe modelEnstrom F-28C Engine modelLycoming HIO-360-E1BDReciprocating

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.

The pilot was circling to the right at approximately 100? AGL with forward speed of 20-30 knots. Entering the downwind side of a turn the helicopter was unable to maintain rotor RPM in the green arc. The pilot stated he was at full throttle with forward airspeed. The pilot lowered the collective and lowered the nose in an attempt to increase the rotor RPM. The pilot chose to make a precautionary landing in a corn field.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT WAS CIRCLING TO THE RIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 100? AGL WITH FORWARD SPEED OF 20-30 KNOTS. ENTERING THE DOWNWIND SIDE OF A TURN THE HELICOPTER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM IN THE GREEN ARC. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS AT FULL THROTTLE WITH FORWARD AIRSPEED. THE PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND LOWERED THE NOSE IN AN ATTEMPT TO INCREASE THE ROTOR RPM. THE PILOT CHOSE TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN A CORN FIELD.