Enstrom 280C accident near Pedricktown, New Jersey, December 30, 2004
On December 30, 2004 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Enstrom 280C (helicopter), registered N175BM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pedricktown, New Jersey (Spitfire Aerodrome airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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 the takeoff and his failure to flare during the autorotation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 30, 2004 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pedricktown, New Jersey · Spitfire Aerodrome · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom 280C · all 280Cs on the register
- Registration
- N175BM · no longer on the register · serial 1109
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During his first solo flight in the accident helicopter, the pilot made adjustments to the cyclic and collective controls during the takeoff. When his attention was diverted, the engine and rotor rpm decayed below the "green zone", and he subsequently elected to perform an autorotation to a field. He did not perform a landing flare and the helicopter landed hard, bounced, and then rolled onto its side. He reported no mechanical abnormalities with the helicopter and stated that the accident was "a result of pilot error."
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: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 56 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming H10-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7N7 Pedricktown NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.