Enstrom 280 FX accident near Springdale, Ohio, June 23, 2000
On June 23, 2000 at about 11:30 am local time, a Enstrom 280 FX (helicopter), registered N383MA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Springdale, Ohio. It was an aerial observation 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 pilot's inadequate preflight of the helicopter, and his subsequent failure to monitor his fuel supply, which resulted in a power loss due to fuel exhaustion, over unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2000 · about 11:30 am local time
- Place
- Springdale, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom 280 FX · all 280 FXs on the register
- Registration
- N383MA · registry record · serial 2048
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing an aerial observation flight of vehicle traffic, operating about 500 feet AGL, when the engine missed and lost power. The pilot performed a run-on landing on the edge of the road, next to a median. One skid was on asphalt and the other skin was in the grass/dirt. The skid in grass/dirt dug in and the helicopter rotated 90 degrees and rolled over. Examination of the helicopter revealed no fuel in the tank, the fuel cap in place, and no evidence of leakage. When fuel was added, the fuel gauge consistently read less than the actual amount of fuel onboard. The pilot told the Safety Board he had checked the fuel prior to departure; however, in follow-up interviews with the FAA, the pilot reported he had not checked the fuel tanks prior to departure and had not paid attention to the fuel gauge while flying.
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: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,114 hours in all; 4,200 in this make and model; 175 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 4,545 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,527 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 14, 2000; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-F1AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 22OH Blue Ash OH at 10:15 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from HAO, 5 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.
Other NTSB records under N383MA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.