What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Enstrom F-28A helicopter collided mid-air with an Enstrom 280C after departure from N81. Both helicopters observed to be flying in close proximity to each other shortly before the accident. The helicopters were slightly staggered from each other and flying on a similar heading. The helicopters converged until they came in contact with each other. The Enstrom F-28A pitched up sharply, then began yawing in a clockwise direction while descending rapidly before contacting the ground.
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tail cone, tail rotor, and main rotor. The aft portion of the tail cone partially separated from the forward portion and was only attached to the airframe through one tail rotor control cable, with the other control cable showing tensile overload signatures. Portions of the main rotor skin, plexiglass, and a portion of the tail rotor drive shaft were found along the debris path. Main rotor blades from the Enstrom F-28A had impact marks with paint transfer of a color consistent with the tail rotor blade of the Enstrom 280C. The pilot of the Enstrom F-28A was fatally injured in this accident.
As the FAA filed it
ENSTROM F-28A HELICOPTER COLLIDED MID-AIR WITH AN ENSTROM 280C AFTER DEPARTURE FROM N81. BOTH HELICOPTERS OBSERVED TO BE FLYING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO EACH OTHER SHORTLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE HELICOPTERS WERE SLIGHTLY STAGGERED FROM EACH OTHER AND FLYING ON A SIMILAR HEADING. THE HELICOPTERS CONVERGED UNTIL THEY CAME IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER. THE ENSTROM F-28A PITCHED UP SHARPLY, THEN BEGAN YAWING IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION WHILE DESCENDING RAPIDLY BEFORE CONTACTING THE GROUND.
THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, TAIL CONE, TAIL ROTOR, AND MAIN ROTOR. THE AFT PORTION OF THE TAIL CONE PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE FORWARD PORTION AND WAS ONLY ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME THROUGH ONE TAIL ROTOR CONTROL CABLE, WITH THE OTHER CONTROL CABLE SHOWING TENSILE OVERLOAD SIGNATURES. PORTIONS OF THE MAIN ROTOR SKIN, PLEXIGLASS, AND A PORTION OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WERE FOUND ALONG THE DEBRIS PATH. MAIN ROTOR BLADES FROM THE ENSTROM F-28A HAD IMPACT MARKS WITH PAINT TRANSFER OF A COLOR CONSISTENT WITH THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE OF THE ENSTROM 280C. THE PILOT OF THE ENSTROM F-28A WAS FATALLY INJURED IN THIS ACCIDENT.
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 aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.
Other reports on N520H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.