- Date
- May 26, 1988, 21:15 local (May 27, 1988, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Middletown, DE
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9209Enstrom F-28A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11367
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Shortly after takeoff, at an alt of aprx 400 ft, a loud bang was heard and the helicopter developed a moderate to severe vibration. The CFI took control of the helicopter and initiated an autorotation. The helicopter contacted small tree branches and landed hard in a field. Post accident inspection revealed the #3 cylinder connecting rod cap had separated from the connecting rod. The fatigue failure initiated at the bolt hole in the yoke section of the rod. Severe galling was visible on the failed connecting rod cap and yoke.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9209
- Reported as
- Enstrom F-28A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 226
- Airframe hours
- 26,124
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-C1A, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Horizon Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 13, 1988 · 324 hours before
- Departed
- N92
- Destination
- ILG · Wilmington, DE
- Airport
- N92 · Summit Airpark, runway 11, 4,100 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,348 total · 225 in this make and model · 2,293 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ILG, 11 nm away