- Date
- December 12, 1988, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bradford, NH
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5699MEnstrom F28F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881212054109A
- Case key
- 36350
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 inflight contact with trees during takeoff after the student pilot experienced a loss of control due to his failure to adequately compensate for the winds.
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 Enstrom F28, piloted by a student pilot, made a takeoff from a private pad on the pilot's property. After getting the helicopter to a hover, the pilot reported the helicopter felt as if it had been put in a severe forward attitude. The pilot attempted to make a hard landing on the pad, however, he was now almost off the pad and trees were 25 feet ahead. The main rotors contacted trees. The pilot said the flight controls were wrenched from his hands and the tail struck a stone wall. The FAA reported that the pilot said he took off with a tailwind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5699M
- Reported as
- Enstrom F28F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 509
- Airframe hours
- 1,617
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-F1AD, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Glendon Mayo
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · November 21, 1988 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- Bradford, NH
- Destination
- CON · Concord, NH
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 119 total · 96 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 7 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 9 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.