- Date
- August 11, 2006, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Independence, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N303MMEnstrom F28C-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060811026679A
- Case key
- 64382
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 rotor RPM leading to his failure to maintain control of the helicopter and the hard landing.
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 was substantially damaged during a hard landing. The pilot stated that he was landing the helicopter to the east and that the winds were strong and out of the north-northeast. He stated that he was unaware that the winds were different from those at the departure airport about one hour prior to the accident. He stated that as he approached his selected landing spot the helicopter began to lose altitude and rotor RPM and he could not recover with engine power. The helicopter impacted the ground collapsing the left landing skid causing the main rotor blades to strike the ground. The pilot listed no mechanical malfunctions of the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The helicopter was substantially damaged during a hard landing. The pilot stated that he was landing the helicopter to the east and that the winds were strong and out of the north-northeast. He stated that he was unaware that the winds were different from those at the departure airport about one hour prior to the accident. He stated that as he approached his selected landing spot the helicopter began to lose altitude and rotor RPM and he could not recover with engine power. The helicopter impacted the ground collapsing the left landing skid causing the main rotor blades to strike the ground. The pilot listed no mechanical malfunctions of the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N303MM
- Reported as
- Enstrom F28C-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 492-2
- Airframe hours
- 1,543
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 1G5 · Medina, OH
- Destination
- Independence, OH
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 234 total · 20 in this make and model · 143 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.