Enstrom F-28C accident near Smoketown, Pennsylvania, October 11, 2005
On October 11, 2005 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Enstrom F-28C (helicopter), registered N51772, was substantially damaged in an accident near Smoketown, Pennsylvania. It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while performing pedal turns at a hover, resulting in a collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 11, 2005 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Smoketown, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F-28C · all F-28Cs on the register
- Registration
- N51772 · no longer on the register · serial 439
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a supervised solo, the student pilot was practicing 360 degree circles in a hover practice area at the airport. During the maneuver he reached a point perpendicular to the prevailing wind, and added right torque pedal to compensate, with minimal result. The student pilot then added power to regain control, and the helicopter started to continuously rotate to the right and began climbing. After reaching about 100 feet, and completing approximately 5 revolutions to the right, the helicopter descended, and impacted the ground in a flat attitude, resulting in substantial damage.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 51 hours in all; 51 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,762.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2005; 5.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TSIO-360-E1BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S37 Smoketown PA at 6:00 pm
- Destination: S37
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from LNS, 6 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.