- Date
- June 26, 1993, 22:40 local (Jun 27, 1993, 04:40 UTC)
- Place
- Boulder, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N625HEnstrom F-28C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930626020669A
- Case key
- 18296
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
A failure by the pilot flying to adequately compensate for wind conditions which led to a loss of tail rotor control. A factor was: inadequate supervision by the pilot in command.
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
During a one time rental patrol flight, the sheriff's deputies air taxied the helicopter by the dispatch building and aimed the helicopter spotlight in the window to alert the dispatcher that they were attempting to communicate via portable radio. The helicopter began to spin to the right and after several revolutions, the pilot in command took control from the second pilot and cut power in order to stop the spin. He guided the helicopter to the police parking lot beside the building and collided with two vehicles parked in the lot. The tail rotor drive and control system were not compromised in the accident and examination provided no evidence of failure or malfunction. Actual wind conditions at the accident site are unknown; however, the pilot flying stated that he thought a wind shift occurred and he was attempting to turn into the wind when control was lost.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N625H
- Reported as
- Enstrom F-28C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 346
- Airframe hours
- 2,161
- Engine
- Lycoming VHIO-360-EIAD, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Falcon Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Timothy C. Rhoads
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 14, 1993 · 304 hours before
- Departed
- 2V2 · Longmont, CO
- Destination
- 2V2
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
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 740 total · 27 in this make and model · 633 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DEN, 20 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.
Other investigations on N625H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.