- Date
- May 27, 1988, 11:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- La Verne, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4898Enstrom F28A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 4, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880527016509A
- Case key
- 26011
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 landed hard during a practice touchdown autorotation (auto). The helo remained in closed traffic for the purpose of practicing touchdown autos to a landing area adjacent to the aprt's rwy. There was also another helo in closed traffic using the landing area for the same purpose. The other helo was landing long in the area allowing the accident helo to use the first half. The pvt plt initiated the auto. The CFI then took command of the helo because he felt they would not clear a perimeter fence located short of the intended touchdown point. The CFI then applied collective pitch to extend the glide over the fence. The private plt indicated that the rotor RPM was depleted and the CFI did not flare the helo sufficiently to regain rotor RPM or decrease the ground speed. The helo landed hard and bounced. Neither the private plt nor the CFI reported any mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4898
- Reported as
- Enstrom F28A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 055
- Airframe hours
- 13,554
- Engine
- Lycoming HI0-360-CIA, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Hiser Helicopter
- Registered owner
- Hiser Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 30, 1988 · 90 hours before
- Airport
- POC · Brackett Field
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
- 25
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,260 total · 150 in this make and model · 1,220 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- POC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.