Enstrom F-28A accident near Fayetteville, Arkansas, May 7, 1987
On May 7, 1987 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Enstrom F-28A (helicopter), registered N13CM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fayetteville, Arkansas. It was an other work-use 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 1987 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fayetteville, Arkansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F-28A · all F-28As on the register
- Registration
- N13CM · registry record · serial 090
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PIC WAS DEMONSTRATING THE HELO TO A PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMER. THE PIC WAS HOVERING IN A REMOTE AREA WITH ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN. THE PIC RPTD OUTSIDE AIR TEMPS OF ABT 90 DEGREES DURING THE DEMO FLT. THE PIC STATED THAT HE WAS MOVING AROUND OVER THE GRND IN A 3 TO 5 FT HOVER. THE PIC STATED THAT NO WIND WAS BLOWING AND HE WAS MOVING TO GET FRESH AIR THROUGH THE ROTORS. THE PIC THEN NOTICED THAT ENG RPM WAS DECREASING AND INCREASED THROTTLE TO COMPENSATE. THE PIC STATED THAT RPM CONTINUED TO DECREASE AND THE HELO BEGIN TO DESCEND DESPITE FULL THROTTLE. THE PIC STATED THAT HE HAD TO MANEUVER THE HELO BACK TO THE SPOT HE HAD INITALLY APPROACHED TO AVOID LANDING ON ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN. THE PIC STATED THAT THIS POSED A PBLM TO IMMEDIATE TOUCHDOWN AS HE MOVED THE HELO TO THE SMOOTH LNDG AREA. THE HELO SUBSEQUENTLY HARD LANDED SHORT OF THE LNDG AREA SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO MECH MALF WAS DISCOVERED DURING INSP.
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
What happened, in order
- LOSS OF CONTROL - IN FLIGHT during hover
- HARD LANDING during hover
Pilot
- Ratings: none, none, none, helicopter
- Flight time: 298 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 223 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 2
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,394 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 12, 1986; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: FYV Fayetteville AR at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°C, dew point 0°C
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N13CM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 MKC87LA102.