Enstrom F-28A accident near Ravenna, Ohio, August 24, 1990
On August 24, 1990 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Enstrom F-28A (helicopter), registered N9597, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ravenna, Ohio (Portage County airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A POWER LOSS, DUE TO CONTAMINATION FROM DETERIORATING FUEL TANK SEALANT, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO NOTICE THE CONTAMINATION DURING PREFLIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 1990 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ravenna, Ohio · Portage County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F-28A · all F-28As on the register
- Registration
- N9597 · registry record · serial 0145
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AND MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A LAKE SHORELINE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE GROUND. POST CRASH EXAMINATION BY THE FAA REVEALED THE FUEL INJECTORS AND FUEL SUMP HAD CONTAMINATION SIMILAR TO THE FUEL TANK SEALANT. THE PILOT DID NOT DETECT THE CONTAMINATION DURING PREFLIGHT. THE FAA ALSO REPORTED THE SLOPING SHORELINE WAS THE ONLY AVAILABLE PLACE FOR A FORCED LANDING.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,300 hours in all; 1,700 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 10,150 as pilot in command; 9,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 29G at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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 NYC90LA200.