- Date
- October 11, 2005, 14:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Smoketown, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N51772Enstrom F-28C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Harrisburg, PA
- FAA report
- 20051011027549A
- Case key
- 62648
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 student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while performing pedal turns at a hover, resulting in a collision with terrain.
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 supervised solo, the student pilot was practicing 360 degree circles in a hover practice area at the airport. During the maneuver he reached a point perpendicular to the prevailing wind, and added right torque pedal to compensate, with minimal result. The student pilot then added power to regain control, and the helicopter started to continuously rotate to the right and began climbing. After reaching about 100 feet, and completing approximately 5 revolutions to the right, the helicopter descended, and impacted the ground in a flat attitude, resulting in substantial damage.
Factual narrative
"This report is based on information received by the NTSB. Additional details may be found in the NTSB's public docket for this case. For further information, please contact the NTSB Office of Public Inquiries."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N51772
- Reported as
- Enstrom F-28C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 439
- Airframe hours
- 1,762.9
- Engine
- Lycoming TSIO-360-E1BD, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2005 · 5.7 hours before
- Departed
- S37 · Smoketown, PA
- Destination
- S37
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 51 total · 51 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- LNS, 6 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.