- Date
- August 16, 1989, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Milbridge, ME
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N89JDEnstrom 280C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890816037569A
- Case key
- 36462
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
Failure of the number 3 intake valve outer spring. The water (river) in the emergency landing area was a related factor.
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
Shortly after departing the pilot's private heliport in Milbridge, Maine, the helicopter had a partial loss of power. It was then autorotated into the narraguagus river and was substantially damaged. The number 3 intake valve outer spring, p/n LW11796, had broken near the top of the valve stem.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N89JD
- Reported as
- Enstrom 280C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1103
- Airframe hours
- 1,220
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Harold Leighton
- Registered owner
- Harold K Leighton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · May 5, 1989 · 19 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 950 total · 350 in this make and model · 850 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °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.