Enstrom 280FX accident near Ouray, Colorado, August 8, 2001
On August 8, 2001, a Enstrom 280FX (helicopter), registered N724BF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ouray, Colorado. It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the partial loss of engine power due to the slippage of the wastegate linkage as a result of the plunger on the linkage being undertorqued by an unknown person. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2001
- Place
- Ouray, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom 280FX · all 280FXs on the register
- Registration
- N724BF · registry record · serial 2049
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to landing the helicopter at an altitude of about 12,000 feet mean sea level, the pilot completed a "power check," and at that time, the engine was able to develop 39 inches of manifold pressure. While on short final, the pilot added power, however, the engine could only achieve 31 inches of manifold pressure. The pilot then executed a forced landing to a grassy area at the top of a slope. Approximately 10 feet agl, the low rotor rpm horn sounded, and the pilot "cushioned the landing with little power." Subsequently, the helicopter slid off the slope, rolled over, and came to rest on its right side. The helicopter was recovered and examined by a helicopter mechanic and the pilot. During the examination, the mechanic found that "the wastegate linkage sheath was in its detent." However, "the sheath took two fingers with very light pressure to pull it out of its detent." The mechanic attributed the ease with which he was able to pull the sheath out of the detent to "the ball plunger on the wastegate linkage not being torqued." In the mechanic's opinion, "between the light torque on the ball plunger and the heat in the engine compartment, the sheath for the wastegate linkage would at times slide on the inside shaft. Without collective, throttle, and wastegate rigging working together, this would greatly affect power or lack of 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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,678 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 86 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 1,536 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 3, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 648.3 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-F1AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTJ Montrose CO at 11:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN01LA141.