- Date
- August 6, 2008, 07:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Aurora, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N285SHEnstrom 280FX
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20080806845039A
- Case key
- 68620
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 improper planning and decision making resulting in the loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's premature application of collective resulting in a hard landing and substantial damage.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was returning to land when he noted that the fuel level was low. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power and the pilot attempted an autorotation to an open field, resulting in a hard landing, and substantial damage to the helicopter. The loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion. An examination of the remaining systems revealed no anomalies. According to the pilot, he departed with 19 gallons of fuel, and had calculated this represented 1 hour and 20 minutes of fuel.
Factual narrative
According to a telephone conversation with the pilot, he had just finished a photo documentation flight in the Denver International Airport area. He was returning to Centennial Airport when he noted that the fuel level was low. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power and the pilot attempted an autorotation to an open field, resulting in a hard landing. During the landing, the main rotor blades contacted the tail boom, severing the tail rotor, and bending all three rotor blades. Following the accident, less than a quarter of a gallon of fuel was recovered from the left and right fuel tanks. Fuel was added and the engine ran without hesitation or issues for five minutes. An examination of the remaining systems revealed no anomalies. According to the pilot, he departed with 19 gallons of fuel, and had calculated this represented 1 hour and 20 minutes of fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N285SH
- Reported as
- Enstrom 280FX
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2120
- Airframe hours
- 128.4
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-F1AD, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Elite Helicopter Services Inc
- Registered owner
- Beacon Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 1, 2008 · 7.4 hours before
- Departed
- APA · Englewood, CO
- Destination
- APA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 471 total · 21 in this make and model · 353 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- BKF, 360 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.