Enstrom F-28C accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, February 6, 2010
On February 6, 2010 at about 4:19 pm local time, a Enstrom F-28C (helicopter), registered N426KA, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Fort Pierce, Florida (St. Lucie County International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent encounter with settling with power while hovering downwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 2010 · about 4:19 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Pierce, Florida · St. Lucie County International · 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
- N426KA · no longer on the register · serial 354
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he hover-taxied the helicopter downwind in an 18-knot wind that gusted to 26 knots, before he landed and purchased fuel. For the subsequent takeoff, he again hover-taxied downwind to his requested runway. He said the winds were exacerbated either by gusts or a "wind tunnel" effect from two rows of hangers. As the helicopter hovered downwind, the pilot was unable to arrest his descent, forward travel, or a loss of rotor rpm with the adjustment of throttle, collective, and cyclic controls. The helicopter continued over and descended into a drainage "lagoon" before it struck the opposite bank and nosed over. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the helicopter. According to the FAA Rotorcraft Flying Handbook, among the conditions conducive to settling with power are downwind approaches at low forward airspeed.
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
What happened, in order
- Settling with power/vortex ring state during maneuvering (hover) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 22,580 hours in all; 230 in this make and model; 140 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 16,008 as pilot in command; 4,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 30, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,452 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FPR Fort Pierce FL
- Destination: FPR Fort Pierce FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,755 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 17 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from FPR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.