Enstrom 280 accident near Buttwil, Ch, January 22, 2016
On January 22, 2016 at about 8:45 am local time, a Enstrom 280 (helicopter), registered HBXLS, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) operating) near Buttwil. It was an instructional flight under non-U.S. private rules. No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 2016 · about 8:45 am local time
- Place
- Buttwil, Switzerland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Enstrom 280 C · all 280s on the register
- Registration
- HBXLS · no longer on the register · serial 1211
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On January 22, 2016, about 0845 hours universal coordinated time, an Enstrom model 280C helicopter, Swiss registration HB-XLS, sustained damage to the tail rotor control system before liftoff from the Buttwil Airfield (LSZU), Buttwil, Switzerland. The pilot was not injured. The local flight was preparing to depart LSZU at the time of the event. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB). This report is for informational purposes and contains only information released by or obtained from the government Switzerland. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board Bundeshaus Nord, Kochergasse 10 CH-3003 Berne Switzerland Tel: +41 58 466 33 00 Website: http://www.sust.admin.ch Email: info-av@sust.admin.ch
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during standing (engine(s) operating) defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.