- Date
- October 8, 1994, 07:35 local (14:35 UTC)
- Place
- La Verne, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5697DEnstrom F-28C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 5, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941008035619A
- Case key
- 28968
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
an inadvertant entry into a settling with power condition and the flight instructor's inability to correct the situation due to an inadequate altitude above ground.
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 CFI was giving dual instruction in pinnacle approaches to a practice area plateau at 2,500 feet MSL. A go-around was made on the first approach. According to the CFI, about halfway through the second approach the sight picture had steepened and he started assisting on the controls to regain the proper angle. He stated that within seconds it became obvious that the wind had reversed and was now behind the helicopter which was settling with power. The CFI attempted a recovery; however, there was not enough altitude and the helicopter landed hard. The CFI stated that the winds at the accident site were variable in direction at 10 knots with gusts to 20 knots. There was no wind direction indicator at the accident site.
Factual narrative
On October 8, 1994, at 0735 hours Pacific daylight time, an Enstrom F-28C helicopter, N5697D, was substantially damaged during a hard landing approach near La Verne, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight and no flight plan was filed. Neither the certified flight instructor (CFI) nor the dual student were injured. The flight originated at La Verne about 0720 hours.
The instructor stated that they were to practice pinnacle landings. They flew about 5 miles north to a practice area. The elevation was 2,500 feet mean sea level.
A go-around was made during the first approach. During the second approach, the CFI stated that the site picture had steepened, so he started assisting on the controls to regain the proper angle. The CFI stated: "Within seconds, it became obvious that the wind had reversed and was now behind the helicopter which was settling with power." The CFI attempted a recovery; however, there was not enough altitude, and the helicopter landed hard.
The instructor stated that they had planned their approach into the prevailing wind which was near calm at the time of the accident. He stated that there may have been a wind shear at the time of the approach.
On the pilot/operator accident report form, the CFI reported the winds as variable at 10 knots with gusts to 20 knots. There were no formal wind direction indicators at the accident site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5697D
- Reported as
- Enstrom F-28C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 504-2
- Airframe hours
- 1,672
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-E1BD, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert F. Beck
- Registered owner
- Robert F. Beck
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 24, 1994 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- POC · CA
- Destination
- POC · CA
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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 847 total · 827 in this make and model · 743 as pilot in command · 176 in the last 90 days · 56 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
- Observed at
- POC, 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.