Enstrom 280C accident near Castle Rock, Colorado, July 3, 1996
On July 3, 1996 at about 5:55 pm local time, a Enstrom 280C (helicopter), registered N51763, was substantially damaged in an accident near Castle Rock, Colorado. It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Total failure of the magneto. A factor was the pilot operating the helicopter with a known deficiency.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 1996 · about 5:55 pm local time
- Place
- Castle Rock, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom 280C · all 280Cs on the register
- Registration
- N51763 · no longer on the register · serial 1153
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine lost power and an autorotation was made. The helicopter was substantially damaged during the run-on landing on a rough field. Postaccident testing disclosed that when the magneto was rotated, none of the 12 leads produced a spark. When the distributor cap was removed, it was noted that none of the points opened when the magneto was rotated. An FAA inspector heard the engine missing on the day prior to the accident. He suggested to the pilot that the engine be checked before further flight. The pilot told the inspector that the condition was 'common on Enstrom helicopters when the engine is hot.'
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: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 321 in this make and model; 158 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 1,000 as pilot in command; 275 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,500 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 25, 1996; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-E1AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Denver Helicopters, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: CO93 Larkspur CO at 5:50 pm
- Destination: APA Englewood CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:45 pm from APA, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N51763 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.