Enstrom F-28A accident near Blue Ash, Ohio, March 12, 1998
On March 12, 1998 at about 9:25 pm local time, a Enstrom F-28A (helicopter), registered N4884, was substantially damaged in an accident near Blue Ash, Ohio (Blue Ash airport). 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 failure of a cooling fan blade and the pilot's improper flare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 1998 · about 9:25 pm local time
- Place
- Blue Ash, Ohio · Blue Ash · 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
- N4884 · no longer on the register · serial 034
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was under the control of a student pilot. Departing from a hover, and while climbing through an altitude of 50 to 60 feet above the ground, the pilot heard a loud bang and a high pitched whine. The pilot performed an autorotation. He reported that he touched down hard and started sliding on the grass. The nose pitched down, and the main rotor blades contacted the tail boom. Examination of the helicopter revealed a blade had separated from the engine-cooling fan and penetrated the shroud. The fan blades were held to the fan disk by 1 bolt and 2 rivets. Evidence of corrosion was found on the fan disk and the failed rivets.
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: student
- Flight time: 45 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 18 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,833 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 1998; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-C1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ISZ at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:27 pm from CIN, 9 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.