- Date
- April 12, 2003, 21:23 local (Apr 13, 2003, 02:23 UTC)
- Place
- Lino Lakes, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N26HWEnstrom F-28A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - Minneapolis Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20030412009359A
- Case key
- 56821
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 not maintaining aircraft control while manuevering.
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 non-helicopter rated pilot was maneuvering and the aircraft descended and impacted the terrain. The pilot reported, "Did a number of approaches and hovers. On last one, aircraft seemed to accelerate with power to the ground." The pilot reported, on the NTSB accident form, there was no mechanical malfunction or failure. According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the pilot's last aviation medical examination was performed on September 25, 1991.
Factual narrative
On April 12, 2003, at 2123 central daylight time, an Enstrom F-28A helicopter, N26HW, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with terrain near Lino Lakes, Minnesota. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The solo/instructional flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot did not report any injuries. The flight departed the Anoka County Airport (ANE), Minneapolis, Minnesota, at approximately 1830.
The pilot reported, "Departed ANE for training flight. Did a number of approaches and hovers. On last one, aircraft seemed to accelerate with power to the ground." The pilot reported, on the NTSB accident form, there was no mechanical malfunction or failure.
The pilot holds a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single engine land, airplane single engine sea, airplane multiengine land, free balloon, and instrument airplane ratings. According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the pilot's last aviation medical examination was performed on September 25, 1991.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N26HW
- Reported as
- Enstrom F-28A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 80
- Airframe hours
- 2,000
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-C1A, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jeff Homich
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ANE · Minneapolis, MN
- Destination
- MN
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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 90 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- ANE, 5 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.