Enstrom F-28C accident near Anchorage, Alaska, March 5, 2023
On March 5, 2023 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 2015 Enstrom F-28C (helicopter), registered N5688R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Anchorage, Alaska (Lake Hood Seaplane airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain main rotor rpm on takeoff, which resulted in a forced run-on landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2023 · about 11:00 pm local time · cases in 2023
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Lake Hood Seaplane · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F-28C, built 2015 · all F-28Cs on the register
- Registration
- N5688R · registry record · serial 466-2
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the helicopter preflight and engine runup were normal; however, he could not maintain main rotor rpm on departure and the engine lost partial power. The pilot made a run-on landing to a snow-covered lake, which resulted in substantial damage to the tail boom. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Since there were no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter, it is likely the pilot allowed the main rotor rpm to decrease and exceeded the available engine power to recover from the low main rotor rpm condition. When the main rotor rpm decreases, the amount of power the engine can produce also decreases, which is likely the reason the pilot perceived a partial loss of engine power. In addition, the obstacles along the departure path prevented the pilot from lowering the collective to regain main rotor rpm, which resulted in the pilot electing to perform a run-on landing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing defining event
- Miscellaneous/other during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Powerplant parameters › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 21,000 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 20,500 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 15, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,833.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2022; 3.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-36-E1AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: UUO Willow AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.40 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from PANC, 2 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PANC 052253Z 08004KT 10SM SCT200 M07/M17 A3040 RMK AO2 SLP297 T10671167
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – Accident helicopter at accident site. Photo
Photo 2 – Left side of accident helicopter at recovery site. Photo
Photo 3 – View of accident helicopter’s tail boom at recovery site. Photo
Photo 4 – View of accident helicopter’s tail rotor assembly. PhotoThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on May 16, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Engine Examination | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5688R on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Enstrom F-28 147 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Enstrom 215 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-36-E1AD · as the NTSB recorded it
- Lake Hood Airport · nearest airport
- Willow Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,930 since 1982 · 826 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,145 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC23LA024.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.