Enstrom F-28C accident near Morrison, Colorado, April 13, 2005
On April 13, 2005 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Enstrom F-28C (helicopter), registered N5690K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Morrison, 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 pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM during the approach which resulted in a landing short of the helipad.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made September 29, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 13, 2005 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Morrison, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F-28C · all F-28Cs on the register
- Registration
- N5690K · registry record · serial 477
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After performing two approaches and landings to a helipad, the pilot and pilot-rated passenger elected to fly to another helipad. The pilot-rated passenger, who was also a rotorcraft flight instructor, performed an approach to a hover above the helipad without incident. After the helicopter departed the helipad, the pilot then attempted an approach to the helipad. During a steep approach to a helipad, the helicopter descended below the helipad, which was an elevated concrete surface. The pilot increased collective, the rotor RPM began to droop, and the helicopter landed short of the helipad. During the landing, the helicopter impacted the side of the helipad and sustained substantial damage. Examination of the helicopter revealed the firewall and lower fuselage were crushed and the left skid was collapsed.
The NTSB's narratives can run to many pages; this is the opening. Read the full report at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database and is rewritten in plain English only where the NTSB used codes; the probable cause and narrative are the NTSB's own words. 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 DEN05LA068.