Enstrom 280FX accident near Lewistown, Montana, February 15, 2024
On February 15, 2024, a 1989 Enstrom 280FX (helicopter), registered N899JS, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Lewistown, Montana (Lewistown Muni 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
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s encounter with low light conditions and snow-covered terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 2024
- Place
- Lewistown, Montana · Lewistown Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Enstrom 280FX, built 1989 · all 280FXs on the register
- Registration
- N899JS · no longer on the register · serial 2049
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane rated pilot reported that he departed the airport traffic pattern with the intention of practicing helicopter maneuvers at about 200 ft. above ground level (agl) near sundown. The pilot reported that he felt a loud bang while maneuvering and realized he had “impacted the ground” without warning and the helicopter immediately rolled onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tailboom. The pilot reported that he encountered a “VFR white out” in “flat light” conditions while maneuvering over snow-covered terrain. He also reported that he was not maintaining a safe altitude. The pilot reported that he had accumulated 59.5 total flight hours in rotorcraft; however, the pilot did not possess a helicopter rating. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Flat light › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,897.6 hours in all; 59.5 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 12.5 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 23, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,591 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 21, 2023; 204 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HI0-360-F1AD (piston); 1,681 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 310° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9 ft; clear at 9 ft
- Temperature: 14°F (-10°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from KLWT, 3 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KLWT 150054Z AUTO 31003KT 9SM -SN OVC009 M10/M12 A3007 RMK AO2 SNB54 SLP245 P0000 T11001117
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 10, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 WPR24LA090.