Enstrom F-28A accident near Fort Worth, Texas, September 16, 2012
On September 16, 2012 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Enstrom F-28A (helicopter), registered N194E, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Fort Worth, Texas (Hicks Airfield). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The noncertificated pilot's operation of the helicopter, which resulted in the tail boom's contact with the refueling pump.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2012 · about 10:20 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Fort Worth, Texas · Hicks Airfield · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F-28A · all F-28As on the register
- Registration
- N194E · registry record · serial 009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the noncertificated pilot maneuvered the helicopter from the refueling pump, the helicopter's tail boom contacted the refueling pump, resulting in substantial damage to the tail boom. The pilot did not provide any details about the accident.
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
- Ground collision during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground equipment › Awareness of condition
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › (general) › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO 360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Fort Worth TX
- Destination: Fort Worth TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 11,000 ft; a few clouds at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KAFW, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 12, 2012. 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 | Correspondence: Record of Conversation with FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | 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
- N194E 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 216 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO 360 SER 8,560 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Hicks Airfield · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,061 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,985 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12CA647.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.