Accident Overview
On 21 September 1998 at 1622 hours, an Enstrom 280FX, registration G-BSIE, was making a normal approach to a helipad at Westhoughton, Greater Manchester, following a flight from Barton. The helicopter was equipped with one Lycoming HIO-360-F1AD piston engine and had been manufactured in 1990. The pilot, aged 61 and holding a Private Pilot's Licence (Helicopters), had logged 100 hours total on type, with 16 hours in the preceding 90 days and 12 hours in the last 28 days. There were no passengers on board.
Sequence of Events
As the helicopter neared a 13-foot high boundary fence, the pilot sensed a change in the engine note accompanied by a yaw to the right. Rather than continuing to land on the helipad, he decided to land in an adjacent field. The field's surface had been softened by recent heavy rain. Due to the yawing motion, the right skid dug into the soft ground, causing the helicopter to tip over onto its right side. There was no fire, and the pilot, who was uninjured, escaped through the left door.
Post-Accident Examination
The helicopter was removed to a maintenance organisation for examination. Witness marks between the cooling fan and the structure suggested that the engine had stopped by the time the damage occurred. Visual inspection of the engine revealed no external evidence of any defect or failure. The damage included the right skid, right side of the fuselage, rotor blades, and mast head. The helicopter was classified as an insurance write-off and was awaiting sale. Any significant defects found during future stripdown or rebuild are to be reported in a subsequent AAIB Bulletin.