Accident Summary
On July 30, 2021, at about 1625 eastern daylight time, an Enstrom 280FX helicopter, registration N36DK, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Colchester, Vermont. The commercial pilot sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was operated by Beta Air LLC as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Pilot Report
According to the pilot, he departed on a proficiency flight from Plattsburgh International Airport (PGB), Plattsburgh, New York, to Burlington International Airport (BTV), Burlington, Vermont. While en route, the pilot noticed something burning and observed smoke in the cockpit. He also saw a rapidly rising exhaust gas temperature despite moving the mixture control to full rich. He initiated a precautionary landing, during which the helicopter lost partial and then total engine power. The pilot performed an autorotation landing on the Lake Champlain Causeway, striking trees before coming to rest on the road and rocks lining the causeway. After exiting the helicopter, the pilot saw flames and smoke coming from the engine compartment. He did not observe any fuel leaking onto the ground.
Witness Account
A witness walking along the causeway reported hearing a sound like a car accident and saw the helicopter impacting the causeway. She observed smoke emanating from the rear of the helicopter and watched the pilot evacuate from the wreckage. She helped the pilot move farther away, and shortly thereafter, fire consumed the helicopter.
Postaccident Examination
Postaccident examination of the engine revealed significant soot and thermal damage. The heaviest thermal damage was located around the No. 3 cylinder near the turbocharger. The outer portion of the turbocharger displayed significant thermal damage, while the turbocharger exhaust and inlet clamps were intact and tightly installed with safety wires present. The turbocharger was partially disassembled, and its interior showed no evidence of thermal damage. The flexible fuel and oil lines exhibited significant thermal damage, and some were destroyed by fire. It was not possible to evaluate the lines for possible leakage due to the extensive thermal damage. Metal fuel lines were found securely connected to their respective attach points. Several oil lines were located near fire damage in the forward left portion of the engine compartment, where thermal damage was most severe.
Maintenance History
Maintenance records indicated that on March 12, 2021, the helicopter's engine was replaced, and all fuel and oil hoses were replaced with new hoses. The helicopter had flown about 200 hours since this maintenance. On May 13, 2021, an annual inspection was completed, and the engine was found to be in an airworthy condition.