Enstrom F28 accident near Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania, September 8, 2021
On September 8, 2021 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1978 Enstrom F28 (helicopter), registered N51789, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania (New Garden 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 failure to maintain control of the helicopter during an out-of-ground effect hover in a gusty wind, due to loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 2021 · about 8:45 pm local time · cases in 2021
- Place
- Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania · New Garden Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F28 C, built 1978 · all F28s on the register
- Registration
- N51789 · registry record · serial 454-2
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed a straight in approach to runway 24 and then entered an out-of-ground-effect hover at 30 to 40 ft above ground level. He made a right turn to hover taxi to the fueling area. At that time, he noticed that the rotor rpm was low, and he attempted to increase it; however, the helicopter spun right, descended and impacted a grass area near a taxiway. The recorded wind at the airport about the time of the accident was variable at 4 knots, gusting to 10 knots. The pilot reported 10 to 12 knot gusts from the east at the time of the accident and previous and subsequent weather recordings indicated wind gusts from the south. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the lower right fuselage. The examination did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any. It is likely that the helicopter was in an out-of-ground effect hover with a direct or quartering tailwind, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
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 maneuvering (hover) defining event
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (hover)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Tail rotor › (general) › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 525 hours in all; 348 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 25, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,802 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 21, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,700 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,693 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 2979.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from MQS, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 28, 2022. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Interview Summaries | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N51789 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Enstrom F-28 147 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Enstrom 216 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 390 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- New Garden Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Pennsylvania 1,836 since 1982 · 234 in the last ten years
- Pennsylvania 6,195 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA21LA357.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.