Enstrom F28C incident near Boca Raton, Florida, January 31, 1987
On January 31, 1987 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Enstrom F28C (helicopter), registered N8627H, suffered minor damage in an incident near Boca Raton, Florida (Boca Raton 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 1987 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Boca Raton, Florida · Boca Raton · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F28C · all F28Cs on the register
- Registration
- N8627H · no longer on the register · serial 746
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER SPUN UNCONTROLLABLY ON THE GROUND AFTER THE RIGHT ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL CABLE WAS SEVERED WHILE LANDING. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED THAT THE TETER STOP FAILED TO LIMIT THE TRAVEL OF THE TAIL ROTOR SPINDLE ASSY THEREBY REDUCING THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE BLADES AND THE CABLE. AFTER CONTACT WITH THE STOP THE BLADES THEN FLEXED, CONTACTED THE CABLE, & DURING ROTATION, SEVERED IT WHERE IT EXITS THE TAIL BOOM ASSY.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 66 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-F1AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from PMP, 8 miles away
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.