Enstrom F-28C accident near Regina, New Mexico, May 9, 1989
On May 9, 1989 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Enstrom F-28C (helicopter), registered N88RA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Regina, New Mexico. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 POORLY PLANNED APPROACH AND DISREGARD OF THE HELICOPTERS PERFORMANCE DATA. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITIONS WHICH EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 1989 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Regina, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F-28C · all F-28Cs on the register
- Registration
- N88RA · registry record · serial 344
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CONDUCTING A TEST FLT FOLLOWING REPAIRS TO THE TAIL ROTOR DUE TO AN EARLIER ACCIDENT THE PLT STRUCK THE TAIL ROTOR ON THE GROUND WHILE TRANSITIONING FROM FORWARD FLT TO A HOVER. THE GROUND CONTACT CAUSED THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT TO FAIL AND THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE IN THE ENSUING CRASH. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CALCULATED TO BE 10,400 FT. THE ENSTROM F-28C OPERATORS HANDBOOK NOTES THAT THE GROUND EFFECT HOVER CEILING IS 8,800 FT.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 688 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 1989; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-E1AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from ALS, 100 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N88RA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DEN89LA118.