Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Elizabeth, Colorado 80107
Tuesady, May 29, 2001 18:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The instructor was flying the helicopter and giving instruction on steep approaches to the private pilot. During a demonstrated steep approach, they were in translation and at approximately 80 feet above ground level (AGL) when he noticed the rotor and engine RPM start to decay. The student pilot stated that, the instructor was giving him a visual reference between their indicated airspeed, which was approximately 50 MPH, and what the "picture on the ground" looked like. As the instructor continued the descent, the student pilot observed that the engine speed was at approximately 2900 RPM, and the manifold pressure indicated approximately 15 inches. The student pilot heard a change in rotor RPM and noticed that the both the rotor RPM and manifold pressures were dropping. We were "probably at 50 to 75 feet AGL with a visual ground speed of about 10 mph." The instructor stated "we are having an engine failure" lowered the collective control lever and increased the throttle. There was no reaction in manifold pressure and the main rotor RPM continued to decrease. The instructor landed the helicopter in a field just short of the intended landing point. The helicopter hit the ground at a higher than normal descent rate and the main rotor blades struck the tail boom, severing the tail rotor and tail rotor gearbox from the tailboom. Examination of the engine revealed that the idle speed and mixture settings were out of adjustment; however, the cause of the loss of engine power was not determined. The density altitude was calculated to be 7,943 feet msl.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the loss of engine power during approach for an undetermined reason. A contributing factor was the high density altitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/29/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1845 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Elizabeth |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80107 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 393303N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1043020W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1853 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 95 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KAPA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5883 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 19 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.93 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 7758 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11465 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 29 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1900 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 20 2002 1:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Denver, Colorado |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N83GT |
| NTSB Number | DEN01LA106 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Enstrom |
| Aircraft Model | F-28C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 308 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2350 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 29 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1.3 |
| Airframe Hours | 2005.9 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Eagle Flight Helicopters |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 47103 Becky Cir. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Elizabeth |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80107 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | Elizabeth |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1745 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | NONE |
| Destination City | Elizabeth |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 31 2002 9:56AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |