Enstrom 280C accident near Lambertville, Michigan, June 15, 1996
On June 15, 1996 at about 9:28 pm local time, a Enstrom 280C (helicopter), registered N557H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lambertville, Michigan. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a total loss of engine power as a result of fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's inadequate preflight, and the pilot's misjudged distance/altitude during the subsequent autorotation. A factor was inadequate maintenance and inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 1996 · about 9:28 pm local time
- Place
- Lambertville, Michigan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom 280C · all 280Cs on the register
- Registration
- N557H · registry record · serial 1043
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after setting cruise power a total loss of engine power occurred and an off-airport landing was made. During the landing the helicopter's main rotor blades impacted with the tail boom. Investigation revealed that the ground wire for the fuel gauge was loose. The helicopter's transmission had been removed from the helicopter less than ten hours before the accident, and the fuel gauge wires were disconnected during the transmission removal. The helicopter was equipped with a wooden dipstick which can be used to verify the amount of fuel in the fuel tank.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,520 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 115 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 1,460 as pilot in command; 490 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,152 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1996; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5G9 at 9:28 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from TOL, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.