Enstrom 280C accident near Panama City Bch, Florida, May 10, 2003
On May 10, 2003 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Enstrom 280C (helicopter), registered N51752, was substantially damaged in an accident near Panama City Bch, Florida. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were 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 adequate rotor rpm and altitude during takeoff which resulted in the helicopter impacting the water during a descent in an attempt to maintain rotor rpm.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 2003 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Panama City Bch, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom 280C · all 280Cs on the register
- Registration
- N51752 · no longer on the register · serial 1150
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he took off over the water, and as he did so his rotor rpm started to decrease, so he lowered the collective and pitched the nose down to increase his rotor rpm and was starting to recover but he ran out of altitude and impacted the water. He said that prior to the accident there had been no mechanical failure or malfunction to the helicopter or any of its systems.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,539 hours in all; 25 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-E1AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aeroquest Inc.,
The flight
- Departed from: Panama City Bch FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.