# Accident 19890522012119A: Hiller UH12E, Waterford, WI, May 22, 1989

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 22, 1989, 09:00 local time
- Place: Waterford, WI
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Location: 42.7599° N, 88.2094° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.7599&lon=-88.2094&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3829, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3829) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hiller UH-12E (registry code 4360122, https://openairdocs.org/model/hiller-uh-12e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HILLER UH12E
- Reported engine: LYC VO540C2A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 4,200 total, 800 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI89DEP04](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI89DEP04) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890522012119A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

MAIN ROTOR TORSION COUPLING FAILED. HELICOPTER BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE AND IMPACTED VERTICALLY.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI89DEP04](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI89DEP04), May 22, 1989: Hiller UH-12E (N3829), Waterford, WI, substantial damage. Probable cause: THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO MAINTAIN CONTROL DURING AN AUTOROTATIONAL LANDING ATTEMPT FOLLOWING THE FAILURE OF THE MAIN ROTOR DRIVE TRAIN TORSIONAL COUPLING.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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