Enstrom F28C accident near Pendleton, OR
On November 2, 1999, an Enstrom F28C (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Pendleton, OR. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 2, 1999
- Place
- Pendleton, OR
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F28C · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 45.730°N, 118.790°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X20171
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 2, 1999, at 1532 Pacific standard time, an Enstrom F28C helicopter, N635H, was destroyed when it sustained a tail rotor blade strike during a solo instructional flight at Pendleton airport, Pendleton, Oregon. The airline transport pilot, who was preparing for a commercial rotorcraft-helicopter rating, was fatally injured. The helicopter was registered to Charlie Inc., an entity of which the pilot was a principal. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight. No flight plan was filed. There was a post-impact fire. No ELT was installed in the aircraft. According to the pilot's flight instructor, he had accumulated approximately 66.5 hours of helicopter instruction, and was scheduled for an add-on commercial rating on the day following the accident. The instructor had flown once with the pilot for 1.7 hours the morning of the flight. The pilot had then flown again for approximately an hour in an additional flight before the accident flight. On the accident flight, the pilot was on his second left-hand circuit of the pattern for runway 34. According to the tower controller, the pilot had been cleared for the option on runway 34 on his first circuit . He had made three touchdowns along the length of runway 34, at the threshold, mid-length, and at the departure end of the runway, then had continued his circuit. On the second circuit, the tower controller had again cleared the pilot for the option. The tower controller observed similar touchdowns at the threshold, and at mid-field. He stated that he was looking away at the time
Probable cause
Failure to maintain clearance from the runway surface while maneuvering at low altitude, and inadequate remedial action after the tail rotor struck the surface.
More accidents in OR
- Cessna T207A, Aug 21, 1986
- Piper PA-28-180, Sep 1, 1984
- Piper PA-28RT-201, Mar 12, 1984
- Piper PA 46-310P, Apr 7, 2017
- Cessna 172, Jun 23, 2012
Browse: Oregon · 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.
