- Date
- October 7, 1990, 14:47 local (19:47 UTC)
- Place
- Mesquite, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N88RAEnstrom F28-C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901007044219A
- Case key
- 23234
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
Installation error of company maintenance personnel. Factors were the unsuitable terrain, the tailwind, the inability of the pilot to maintain main rotor RPM, and the inadequate annual inspection by company maintenance personnel.
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 had departed the ranch for a local area pleasure flight when at approximately 300 feet AGL a loss of power occurred. It was over a heavily wooded area. The pilot attempted to extend the glide by pulling in collective pitch and making a right turn (quartering tailwind) to the only available clear area. The main rotor RPM continued to decay and the helicopter descended vertically out of control to impact onto the open field. The skids collapsed and the helicopter rolled right. Post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed that a misaligned p-lead wire in the magneto had chafed and arced. Additionally, both p-lead caps were found loose. The director of maintenance for the operator stated that he and his mechanic did not adjust the magneto timing because it was to hard too reach on the helicopter. The engine was test run without duplication of the power loss.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88RA
- Reported as
- Enstrom F28-C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 344
- Airframe hours
- 1,089
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-E1AD, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dr. Donald Gillum, doing business as Sky-Ads Inc.
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 26, 1990 · 27 hours before
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 42
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,250 total · 4 in this make and model · 1,200 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAL, 5 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 N88RA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.