Enstrom F280F accident near New Alexandria, Pennsylvania, March 20, 1998
On March 20, 1998 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Enstrom F280F (helicopter), registered N66JV, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Alexandria, Pennsylvania (Westmoreland County airport). It was a personal 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
A bird strike.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 1998 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- New Alexandria, Pennsylvania · Westmoreland County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom F280F
- Registration
- N66JV · no longer on the register · serial 1151
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter started to descend from a stabilized 20-foot hover, and rotate to the right after striking a bird of unknown type. When the descent and yaw continued, the pilot entered an autorotation. The helicopter landed in the water in a level attitude, but rolled onto to its left side in approximately 4 feet of water.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 724 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 421 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 30, 1997; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LBE Latrobe PA at 7:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 12°F (-11°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from LBE, 6 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.
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.