Enstrom F28 accident near Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, September 28, 2019
On September 28, 2019 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2016 Enstrom F28 (helicopter), registered N380SH, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain proper forward airspeed and power during final approach, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2019 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F28 F, built 2016 · all F28s on the register
- Registration
- N380SH · no longer on the register · serial 832
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was operating the helicopter out of ground effect at an airspeed below effective translational lift while approaching the helipad for landing when the nose of the helicopter began a yaw to its right, which the pilot could not arrest with the application of left pedal. The yaw rate increased, and the helicopter rotated around the main rotor mast 2.5 times as it descended into terrain and vehicles. The pilot reported and a postaccident examination confirmed that there were no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation at the time of the accident. The helicopter's slow airspeed, its operation out of ground effect, the uncommanded right yaw, and the lack of mechanical anomalies are consistent with a loss of tail rotor effectiveness, which resulted in the pilot's loss of control.
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
- Loss of tail rotor effectiveness during landing defining event
- Loss of control in flight during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Yaw control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,357 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 8,264 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 30, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 328.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 5, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-F1AD (piston); 329 hours total
- Operator: J&J Shop Heliair LLC.
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Bloomsburg PA at 11:27 pm
- Destination: NONE Bloomsburg PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 pm from IPT, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on May 8, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (Pilot) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Engine and Airframe Examination | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | NTSB Review of Surveillance Video | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Pilot Operating Handbook_excerpts | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Weight and Balance Information | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.