20191025022169A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Enstrom Helicopter 280F · Jordan Valley, OR · October 25, 2019

Date: October 25, 2019 · 14:00 local
Place: Jordan Valley, OR
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N280F
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR20FA016
Reported as: Enstrom Helicopter 280F
Reported engine: Lycoming HIO-360-F1AD
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot

N280FRegistration cancelled Nov 5, 2022 · Enstrom Helicopter 280FS/N 1501 · Built 1981 Airframe modelEnstrom Helicopter 280F Engine modelLycoming HIO-360-F1ADReciprocating

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 10/25/2019 at approximately 1400 local, helicopter N280F impacted the ground 24 miles south of adrian, Oregon. There were two souls onboard, one received serious injuries and one fatal.

The flight left the caldwell, Idaho airport that afternoon for a trip to the owyhee mountains with the aircraft owner and his daughter. The helicopter was in cruise flight at approximately 50-100 feet AGL. The passenger reported her father saying the RPM were getting low, he was working the collective control and possibly reached out to the instrument panel. She did not notice a change in the sound or feel of the helicopter. She reported seeing the RPM left of the normal zone, then they suddenly descended, yawed and hit the ground.

The helicopter impacted the ground in a nose low attitude with a yaw to the left. Post impact wreckage showed the rotor blades bent upward and at a slow speed prior to impact.

As the FAA filed it

ON 10/25/2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 LOCAL, HELICOPTER N280F IMPACTED THE GROUND 24 MILES SOUTH OF ADRIAN, OREGON. THERE WERE TWO SOULS ONBOARD, ONE RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND ONE FATAL.

THE FLIGHT LEFT THE CALDWELL, IDAHO AIRPORT THAT AFTERNOON FOR A TRIP TO THE OWYHEE MOUNTAINS WITH THE AIRCRAFT OWNER AND HIS DAUGHTER. THE HELICOPTER WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 50-100 FEET AGL. THE PASSENGER REPORTED HER FATHER SAYING THE RPM WERE GETTING LOW, HE WAS WORKING THE COLLECTIVE CONTROL AND POSSIBLY REACHED OUT TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SHE DID NOT NOTICE A CHANGE IN THE SOUND OR FEEL OF THE HELICOPTER. SHE REPORTED SEEING THE RPM LEFT OF THE NORMAL ZONE, THEN THEY SUDDENLY DESCENDED, YAWED AND HIT THE GROUND.

THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE WITH A YAW TO THE LEFT. POST IMPACT WRECKAGE SHOWED THE ROTOR BLADES BENT UPWARD AND AT A SLOW SPEED PRIOR TO IMPACT.

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 WPR20FA016Accident · 1 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportJordan Valley, ORA partial loss of engine power due to a worn engine air induction hose, and a subsequent uncontrolled descent into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the failure of maintenance personnel to adequately inspect the hose, and the pilot’s decision to fly…Oct 25, 2019 · Substantial damage