Enstrom F28C-2 accident near Independence, Ohio, August 11, 2006
On August 11, 2006 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Enstrom F28C-2 (helicopter), registered N303MM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Independence, Ohio. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 rotor RPM leading to his failure to maintain control of the helicopter and the hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2006 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Independence, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F28C-2 · all F28C-2s on the register
- Registration
- N303MM · registry record · serial 492-2
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was substantially damaged during a hard landing. The pilot stated that he was landing the helicopter to the east and that the winds were strong and out of the north-northeast. He stated that he was unaware that the winds were different from those at the departure airport about one hour prior to the accident. He stated that as he approached his selected landing spot the helicopter began to lose altitude and rotor RPM and he could not recover with engine power. The helicopter impacted the ground collapsing the left landing skid causing the main rotor blades to strike the ground. The pilot listed no mechanical malfunctions of the helicopter.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 234 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 143 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,543 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1G5 Medina OH at 8:00 pm
- Destination: Independence OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.