# NTSB CHI98LA166: Enstrom F28, N86238, West Chicago, IL, May 14, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 14, 1998, 15:35 local (20:35 UTC) - Place: West Chicago, IL - Coordinates: 41.879482, -88.219757 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.8795&lon=-88.2198&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 24, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 10887 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI98LA166 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/10887/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA166 ## Probable cause the student pilot attempting a tailwind landing and improper compensation for the wind resulting in too high of a sink rate and the hard landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - weather condition - tailwind - proper descent rate - not obtained/maintained, pilot in command - in-flight planning/decision - improper, pilot in command ## Analysis The helicopter was substantially damaged during a hard landing and subsequent roll over during a positioning flight at the DuPage Airport. The solo student was practicing touch-and-goes on runway 19L when he asked for clearance to a Fixed Base Operator near runway 33. Reported weather, taken after the accident, recorded the winds from 140 at 9 knots. The pilot stated 'As I started to land, I know I had gotten myself in a bad situation when I realized my rate of descent was just over 500 FPM with slow forward airspeed.' ## Factual narrative On May 14, 1998, at 1535 central daylight time an Enstrom F28 helicopter, N86238, piloted by a student pilot on a solo flight, was substantially damaged during a hard landing and subsequently rolled over at the DuPage Airport, West Chicago, Illinois. The 14 CFR Part 91 training flight was not operating under a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The student reported no injuries. The flight was positioning from runway 19L to near a FBO and was executing a downwind approach when the accident occurred. Weather reported 8 minutes after the accident on field were: winds 140 degrees magnetic at 9 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky clear; temperature 29 degrees C; dew point 19 degrees C; altimeter 29.99 inches of mercury. According to a written statement, the pilot flew to DuPage to practice touch-and-goes. After completing a touch-and-goes the pilot requested to re-position to the fixed base operator (FBO) on the north side of the airport. "I then asked permission to go to the [FBO]. He gave me permission and told me to go to runway 33. As I made my way over to runway 33, I thought to myself, why is he having me land here with such a strong tailwind? But I made my approach anyway. As I started to land I knew that I had gotten myself into a bad situation when I realized my rate of descent was just over 500 FPM (feet a minute) with slow forward airspeed. That's when the controls felt sluggish with some vibrations and the cyclic had a little shake to it. I thought to myself, I need to get out of this. But to do that, I would have had to increase my forward airspeed and that, I felt, could have put myself and others at great risk because there was traffic landing on both runways in front of me, 19-Left and 19-Right. I then felt the loss of control becoming greater so I made the decision to move north, away from runway 33 to a large soft grassy area to ensure that there was no risk of any person or object being put in danger except for myself and my helicopter. After I made that decision, things happened very quickly. I put a lot of left pedal in, hoping to swing the front end of my ship around into the wind while, at the same time, increasing left cyclic. The result was hitting the ground hard pointed in a W-SW direction with the right landing gear and the right side of the ship taking on the brunt of the contact." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N86238](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N86238), registered now, S/N 737, built 1985 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Enstrom F28 - Registry model: [Enstrom F-28F](https://openairdocs.org/model/enstrom-f-28f) (registry code 3300412) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming HIO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-hio-360-series) (registry code 41524, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 737 - Airframe hours: 2094 - Engines: Lycoming HIO-360-F1AD 225 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Oliver'S Helicopters - Registered owner: Aero View Incorporated - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, May 11, 1998, 7 hours before - Airport: DPA, West Chicago-Dupage, runway 33, 3,210 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 34; student; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 45 total, 45 in this make and model, 4 as pilot in command, 23 in the last 90 days, 18 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 140° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: DPA ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19980514016179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980514016179A), May 14, 1998: Enstrm F28F, Chicago/West Ch, IL, Substantial damage. Made hard downwind landing. (.4)the helicopter was substantially damaged during a hard landing and subsequent roll over during a positioning flight at the… ## Other investigations on N86238 (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW03LA122](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA122), Apr 5, 2003: Enstrom F-28F (N86238), Monroe, LA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter. A contributing factor was the crosswind. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.