- Date
- September 21, 1983, 09:07 local (13:07 UTC)
- Place
- Pontiac, MI
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5692LEnstrom 280C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830921050109A
- Case key
- 12353
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
While returning from a traffic reporting flt, the plt elected to practice an autorotation. He stated that while he was in the process, the eng failed. He reported that he had initiated standard autorotation procedures, but impacted hard during the landing. After touchdown, the helicopter rolled over & the main rotor blades struck the ground. The engine ran properly during an operational check after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5692L
- Reported as
- Enstrom 280C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- N5692L
- Airframe hours
- 2,090
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-E1BD, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pdq Air Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 24, 1983 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- PTK · Pontiac, 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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 1,500 as pilot in command · 210 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.