Enstrom F-28C accident near Morrison, Colorado, November 23, 2002
On November 23, 2002 at about 1:30 am local time, a Enstrom F-28C (helicopter), registered N552CS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Morrison, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot not maintaining clearance from the telephone lines during landing. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot not being able to see the telephone lines, the low altitude, and the dark night.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 2002 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Morrison, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F-28C · all F-28Cs on the register
- Registration
- N552CS · no longer on the register · serial 437
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said his helicopter was approaching a landing area, located just east of a restaurant, from the south, in night visual meteorological conditions. During the approach, the pilot could not see the lighted flag on top of the restaurant, thus he could not determine the wind direction or velocity for landing. He executed a go around and began maneuvering so that he could approach the landing area from the east. The pilot said that at the "northern most point of the go around, a tail rotor strike was felt." The tail rotor struck telephone lines along the north side of a road. The pilot immediately put the helicopter down hard into a ditch alongside the road, breaking the left skid, crushing the right skid and fuselage upward, bending and twisting the main rotor blades, and bending the tail rotor blades. An examination of the helicopter's systems revealed no anomalies.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 264 hours in all; 233 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 165 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 29, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,254 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 16, 2002; 34.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-EIAD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2V2 Longmont CO at 1:00 am
- Destination: Morrison CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 13,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from APA, 16 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N552CS the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.