Enstrom F-28F accident near Boca Raton, Florida, August 6, 1988
On August 6, 1988 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Enstrom F-28F (helicopter), registered N280MW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boca Raton, Florida. It was a personal 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. 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
- August 6, 1988 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Boca Raton, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F-28F · all F-28Fs on the register
- Registration
- N280MW · registry record · serial 743
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE AT AN ALT OF APRX 800 FT 1 MILE OFFSHORE, THE PLT REPORTED A DROP OF THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE FROM 29 TO 20'HG, & AS A RESULT, THE MAIN ROTOR AND ENGINE RPM NEEDLES SPLIT. HE THEN TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING IN THE WATER RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE ACFT WAS DITCHED APRX 1 MILE OFFSHORE IN WATER 4 FT DEEP.
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: 15,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 155 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 231 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 6, 1987; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-FIAD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 11 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PMP, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.