Enstrom F-28A accident near Marathon, Florida, May 13, 1990
On May 13, 1990 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Enstrom F-28A (helicopter), registered N9056, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marathon, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE INPUT DRIVE GEAR OF THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS BECAUSE THE DRIVE GEAR WAS NOT RECOVERED FROM THE OCEAN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 1990 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Marathon, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F-28A · all F-28As on the register
- Registration
- N9056 · registry record · serial 167
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE SIGHTSEEING HELICOPTERS HAD JUST TAKEN OFF AND WAS ABOUT 50 FT IN THE AIR WHEN TAIL ROTOR DRIVE AND CONTROL WAS LOST. THE PILOT EXECUTED A POWER ON FORCED LANDING TO THE OCEAN THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX FAILED AT THE CASTING AROUND THE INPUT DRIVE GEAR AND THERE WERE SIGNS OF LOGJAMMING ON THE INTERIOR OF THE CASTING. THE DRIVE GEAR WAS NOT RECOVERED FROM THE OCEAN.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 1,597 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 2,174 as pilot in command; 60 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 834 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 10, 1990; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Marathon FL at 3:29 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from MTH, 2 miles away
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA90LA120.