Enstrom F-28C accident near Livermore, CA
On September 10, 1995, an Enstrom F-28C (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Livermore, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 10, 1995
- Place
- Livermore, CA
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F-28C · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 37.679°N, 121.751°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001207X04525
NTSB summary
On September 10, 1995, at 1123 hours Pacific daylight time, an Enstrom F-28C helicopter, N5689T, collided with the ground following a loss of power about 2.5 miles northeast of the Livermore, California, airport. The helicopter was operated by Calaveras Aviation of San Andreas, California, and was engaged in providing 5-minute-for-hire sightseeing rides to patrons attending an airshow at the airport. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The helicopter was destroyed in the collision sequence. The certificated commercial pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries; however, the second passenger onboard expired at the hospital as a result of his injuries. The flight originated at 1120 for a 5-minute flight around the airport environment. In a verbal statement to FAA inspectors, the pilot reported that he had no memory of the accident flight. The operator declined three written and one verbal requests to complete a written aircraft accident report. Airborne pilots in other helicopters participating in the ride program, and ground witnesses, reported hearing the pilot transmit over the local control frequency that he had a power failure and was going down. The pilot of one helicopter said he immediately looked toward the position of the accident aircraft when he heard the transmission. The witness observed the helicopter about 300 feet above ground level in a nose-high attitude and yawing to the right as it descended vertically. The witness said the helicopter's yaw continued during the descent until it was
Probable cause
the pilot's inadequate preflight fuel load determination procedures which resulted in fuel exhaustion. In addition, the pilot's delayed and improper use of the collective and cyclic flight controls following the engine failure led to his failure to maintain airspeed and main rotor rpm. The inaccuracy of the fuel indicating system was a factor in the accident.
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Browse: California · Enstrom aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
