- Date
- June 14, 2015, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Romeoville, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N51778Enstrom F 28C
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 8, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA West Chicago FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150614009209A
- Case key
- 91384
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The certified flight instructor (CFI) did not maintain directional control during a downwind emergency running landing to soft muddy terrain, which resulted in a dynamic rollover. Contributing to the accident was the CFI's delayed or insufficient remedial action when the pilot receiving instruction did not control the rotor RPM during hovering flight.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The certified flight instructor (CFI) was giving flight instruction in the piston engine powered helicopter to an experienced airplane pilot, who had a total of about 2 hours of helicopter flight experience. The pilot receiving instruction was hovering the helicopter while oriented into the wind and he allowed the rotor RPM to decrease. While the helicopter was turning to the left, the CFI took over control, but was unable to regain RPM. The helicopter continued to turn to the left and the CFI conducted a downwind emergency running landing to soft muddy turf. After a ground run of about 15 to 20 feet the helicopter began to turn to the right and skids of the helicopter dug into the soft turf. The helicopter rolled 90 degrees onto its left side and both main rotor blades impacted terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system, transmission, tail rotor, tail boom and fuselage. The CFI reported that he had been too slow in taking remedial action. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The characteristics displayed by the helicopter were indicative of it encountering a dynamic rollover.
Factual narrative
The certified flight instructor (CFI) was giving flight instruction in the piston engine powered helicopter to an experienced airplane pilot, who had a total of about 2 hours of helicopter flight experience. The pilot receiving instruction was hovering the helicopter while oriented into the wind and he allowed the rotor RPM to decrease. While the helicopter was turning to the left, the CFI took over control, but was unable to regain RPM. The helicopter continued to turn to the left and the CFI conducted a downwind emergency running landing to soft muddy turf. After a ground run of about 15 to 20 feet the helicopter began to turn to the right and skids of the helicopter dug into the soft turf. The helicopter rolled 90 degrees onto its left side and both main rotor blades impacted terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system, transmission, tail rotor, tail boom and fuselage. The CFI reported that he had been too slow in taking remedial action. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51778
- Reported as
- Enstrom F 28C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 451-2
- Built
- 1978
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- LOT · Romeoville, IL
- Destination
- LOT · Romeoville, IL
- Airport
- LOT · Lewis University, runway 27, 5,696 × 75 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 13, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 840 total · 272 in this make and model · 739 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 13, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 6,474 total · 2 in this make and model · 3,040 as pilot in command · 95 in the last 90 days · 46 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KLOT
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 1, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 898 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.