- Date
- March 15, 2006, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Peetz, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N811ZEnstrom 280F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 31, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060315005519A
- Case key
- 63349
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 aircraft control while maneuvering resulting in an impact with terrain. Contributing factors were the gusty winds, downdrafts, and box canyon.
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 heading in a northwest direction at the edge of a box canyon, the helicopter encountered a "very strong burst down draft," and began to descend into the box canyon. The pilot attempted to arrest the descent, but was unsuccessful. Subsequently, the helicopter impacted the base of the canyon and came to rest upright.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was aerial photography of wildlife nesting areas. Prior to departure, the pilot checked the weather forecast, which called for calm winds and winds increasing in the afternoon. As the helicopter approached the target area, the winds were "dead calm", and the pilot was "watching for the first signs of wind in the grass on the tops of the cliff areas and in the canyons below." While heading in a northwest direction at the edge of a box canyon, the helicopter encountered a "very strong burst down draft," and began to descend into the box canyon. The pilot attempted to arrest the descent, but was unsuccessful. Subsequently, the helicopter impacted the base of the canyon and came to rest upright.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N811Z
- Reported as
- Enstrom 280F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1508
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-F1AD, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Avalair Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SNY · Sidney, NE
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 2,803 total · 155 in this make and model · 47 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
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.