What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 5, 2023, about 1400 Alaska standard time, an Enstrom F-28C helicopter, privacy data omitted sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident in Anchorage, Alaska. The pilot and passengers were not injured. The helicopter was operated by the pilot under title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. privacy data omittedDeparted Lake Hood, Alaska with the intent to travel with passenger to willow, Alaska for the iditirod race. privacy data omitted Was given clearance to depart to the north by Lake Hood tower (lhd). Clearance given: "departure for area will be at your own risk." As the pilot began VMC takeoff all instrumentation was checked and indicated all systems were green and 100% operational, as stated by the pilot. Pilot's takeoff direction was towards Lake Hood vicinity, two storage sheds and a parked airpalne next to the sheds. As the aircraft continued on to approximately 30 feet, the pilot indicated that the rotor RPM began to decay. At which point, the only viable escape was to continue with the forward momentum of the aircraft and try to clear the sheds and the parked airplane. The pilot stated that because of the obstacles the aircraft was not in a postion to safely conduct an autorotation. Once the aircraft cleared all obstacles the pilot began to initiate the landing sequence with the completion of a runon landing. When the aircraft impacted the ground onto the skids the rotor drooped enough to contact the tailboom severing the component from the aircraft. Once the aircraft came to a stop and engine stopped both the pilot and the passenger exited the aircraft with no injuries noted. There was substatial damge to the aircraft. Mxd.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 5, 2023, ABOUT 1400 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, AN ENSTROM F-28C HELICOPTER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^DEPARTED LAKE HOOD, ALASKA WITH THE INTENT TO TRAVEL WITH PASSENGER TO WILLOW, ALASKA FOR THE IDITIROD RACE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS GIVEN CLEARANCE TO DEPART TO THE NORTH BY LAKE HOOD TOWER (LHD). CLEARANCE GIVEN: "DEPARTURE FOR AREA WILL BE AT YOUR OWN RISK." AS THE PILOT BEGAN VMC TAKEOFF ALL INSTRUMENTATION WAS CHECKED AND INDICATED ALL SYSTEMS WERE GREEN AND 100% OPERATIONAL, AS STATED BY THE PILOT. PILOT'S TAKEOFF DIRECTION WAS TOWARDS LAKE HOOD VICINITY, TWO STORAGE SHEDS AND A PARKED AIRPALNE NEXT TO THE SHEDS. AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ON TO APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET, THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THE ROTOR RPM BEGAN TO DECAY. AT WHICH POINT, THE ONLY VIABLE ESCAPE WAS TO CONTINUE WITH THE FORWARD MOMENTUM OF THE AIRCRAFT AND TRY TO CLEAR THE SHEDS AND THE PARKED AIRPLANE. THE PILOT STATED THAT BECAUSE OF THE OBSTACLES THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT IN A POSTION TO SAFELY CONDUCT AN AUTOROTATION. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CLEARED ALL OBSTACLES THE PILOT BEGAN TO INITIATE THE LANDING SEQUENCE WITH THE COMPLETION OF A RUNON LANDING. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND ONTO THE SKIDS THE ROTOR DROOPED ENOUGH TO CONTACT THE TAILBOOM SEVERING THE COMPONENT FROM THE AIRCRAFT. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP AND ENGINE STOPPED BOTH THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES NOTED. THERE WAS SUBSTATIAL DAMGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. MXD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5688R · 1
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