- Date
- April 5, 2003, 11:13 local (17:13 UTC)
- Place
- Monroe, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N86238Enstrom F-28F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030405011399A
- Case key
- 56752
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 control of the helicopter. A contributing factor was the crosswind.
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
The helicopter student pilot reported he was on his second helicopter solo flight and had completed several touch-and-go landings. While practicing hovering over the taxiway, with the helicopter facing into the wind, he initiated a left hovering turn. As the helicopter was turning to face downwind, it became unstable, and the pilot turned the helicopter back to facing the wind. During a second left hovering turn, and as the nose of the helicopter was 90-110 degrees from the wind, the pilot lost control of the helicopter. The right skid hit the ground, and the helicopter came to rest on its left side. The pilot had accumulated a total of 19.7 hours in helicopters.
Factual narrative
On April 5, 2003, approximately 1113 central standard time, an Enstrom F-28F single-engine helicopter, N86238, was substantially damaged following a loss of aircraft control while hovering at the Monroe Regional Airport (MLU) near Monroe, Louisiana. The helicopter was registered to Tinwood Industries, Inc., of Monroe, and operated by Hanger One, also of Monroe. The private pilot rated student, sole occupant of the helicopter, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The local solo flight originated from MLU, at 1010.
The 221-hour private pilot rated student reported on the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report Form (6120.1/2), he was on his second helicopter solo flight and had completed several touch-and-go landings. While practicing hovering over taxiway Hotel, with the helicopter facing into the wind, the pilot initiated a left hovering turn. As the helicopter was turning to face downwind, it became unstable, and the pilot turned the helicopter back into the wind. During a second left hovering turn, and as the nose of the helicopter was 90-110 degrees from the wind, the pilot lost control of the helicopter. The right skid impacted the ground, and the helicopter came to rest on its left side.
Examination of the helicopter, by the FAA inspector who responded to the accident site, revealed that the main rotor blades, tail rotor blades, and left horizontal stabilizer were damaged. The right skid was found separated from the fore and aft cross tubes, and the left side of the fuselage sustained structural damage.
At 1053, the weather facility at MLU, reported that the wind was from 060 degrees at 8 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, few clouds at 9,500 feet, and an altimeter setting of 30.04 inches of Mercury. The temperature was 69 degrees Fahrenheit, and the dew point was 52 degrees Fahrenheit.
The student pilot had acucmulated a total of 19.7 hours in helicopters.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N86238
- Reported as
- Enstrom F-28F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 737
- Airframe hours
- 2,405
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO 360 FIAD, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hanger One
- Registered owner
- Tinwood Industries, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 8, 2002 · 884 hours before
- Departed
- MLU · Monroe, LA
- Airport
- MLU · Monroe
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- April 4, 2002
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 222 total · 17 in this make and model · 222 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
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 N86238 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.