Enstrom F28 accident near Danbury, Texas, December 31, 2019
On December 31, 2019 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1975 Enstrom F28 (helicopter), registered N57SJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Danbury, Texas (Salaika Aviation airport). It was an instructional 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 failure of the engine's No.3 intake valve resulting is a loss of engine power and a rollover following the autorotation to soft ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2019 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Danbury, Texas · Salaika Aviation · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F28 A, built 1975 · all F28s on the register
- Registration
- N57SJ · no longer on the register · serial 278
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot turned the helicopter onto the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern during a training flight when the engine suddenly began to run rough and lost partial power. The flight instructor took the controls and executed an autorotation into a clearing. The skids of the helicopter sank into the soft mud, the rotor blades contacted the ground, and the helicopter rolled onto its side. Examination of the engine revealed that a portion of the No. 3 cylinder intake valve had broken off and migrated into the No. 1 cylinder, where it lodged between the No. 1 cylinder's intake valve and seat, holding that valve in the open position and resulting in the partial loss of engine power.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during maneuvering defining event
- Autorotation Off-field or emergency landing
- Roll over during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,902 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 122 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 4,700 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 23, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,632 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 4, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-C1A (piston); 1,239 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 07TA Danbury TX
- Destination: 07TA Danbury TX
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from LBX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 31, 2020. 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 | Record of Conversation (Pilot's Father) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.