- Date
- August 25, 2002, 17:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Coopersville, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N51689Enstrom 280C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 18, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-GRAND RAPIDS FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020825024239A
- Case key
- 55577
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 pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the transmission wires. Additional factors were the transmission wires and the sunglare.
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
The helicopter sustained substantial damage when it hit a transmission wire during cruise flight and impacted into a river. The passenger reported they were flying over the river on a westerly heading and the sun was in their eyes. She reported the helicopter was "running great" prior to the helicopter hitting the transmission wires. Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter flying approximately 70 feet over the river. The two transmission wires were approximately 70 feet in height.
Factual narrative
On August 25, 2002, at 1730 eastern daylight time, an Enstrom 280C helicopter, N51689, sustained substantial damage when it hit a transmission wire during cruise flight and impacted the Grand River at a location about 5 miles southwest of Coopersville, Michigan. The pilot and passenger were rescued from the river. The pilot received serious injuries and the passenger was not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight had departed from Zeeland, Michigan, at 1700 on a local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed.
The passenger reported they had been "flying down Grand River into the sun (west) at approx 5:00 pm. Weather was great, helicopter was running great - came to a sudden stop. Helicopter pitched up slightly then broke through wire and wrapped around rotor 2-3 turns, nosed over towards water & flared just as it hit the water. At impact the windscreen fell inward and we were able to get out the side doors - which were gone...The sun was very bright and neither of us saw the wire."
Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter flying approximately 70 feet over the river. The two transmission wires were approximately 70 feet in height.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51689
- Reported as
- Enstrom 280C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1115
- Airframe hours
- 1,710
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360 E1AD, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- WR Aircraft, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 14, 2002 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- Zeeland, MI
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
- 52
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- December 16, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,190 total · 25 in this make and model · 1,036 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRR, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.