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19960719018839A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hiller UH-12E · Healdsburg, CA · July 19, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 19, 1996
Place
Healdsburg, CA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N124HA
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX96LA279
Reported as
Hiller UH12E
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
N124HARegistration cancelled Sep 4, 2021 · Hiller UH-12ES/N HA3024 · Built 1975Airframe modelHiller UH-12EEngine modelLycoming VO-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Helicopter lost power and crashed. (.19) on July 19, 1996, at 1830 hours pacific daylight time, a Hiller UH-12E, N124HA, collided with trees after the pilot entered autorotation after reacting to an erroneous rotor/engine tachometer reading near Healdsburg, California. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. The helicopter was being operated as a personal flight by the pilot/owner when the accident occurred. The flight originated from a private ranch at 1825, and was destined for the Healdsburg municipal airport. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The pilot said he was flying at 1,400 feet MSL and 70 knots when the needles on the rotor/engine tachometer instrument split. The engine decelerated to idle. The pilot entered an autorotation over unsuitable steep terrain and struck trees during the emergency descent. (.4) the pilot entered autorotation over unsuitable steep terrain and struck trees after observing split needles on the rotor/engine tachometer. The helicopter had a previous rotor-tach generator failure. The failure was attributed to a loose connection, and was allegedly repaired by the previous owner. The connection was found to produce intermittent and inaccurate instrument readings when the wire bundle was moved or flexed. The potting material within the electrical connector was found in poor condition.

As the FAA filed it

HELICOPTER LOST POWER AND CRASHED. (.19) ON JULY 19, 1996, AT 1830 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A HILLER UH-12E, N124HA, COLLIDED WITH TREES AFTER THE PILOT ENTERED AUTOROTATION AFTER REACTING TO AN ERRONEOUS ROTOR/ENGINE TACHOMETER READING NEAR HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING OPERATED AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT BY THE PILOT/OWNER WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE RANCH AT 1825, AND WAS DESTINED FOR THE HEALDSBURG MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS FLYING AT 1,400 FEET MSL AND 70 KNOTS WHEN THE NEEDLES ON THE ROTOR/ENGINE TACHOMETER INSTRUMENT SPLIT. THE ENGINE DECELERATED TO IDLE. THE PILOT ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION OVER UNSUITABLE STEEP TERRAIN AND STRUCK TREES DURING THE EMERGENCY DESCENT. (.4) THE PILOT ENTERED AUTOROTATION OVER UNSUITABLE STEEP TERRAIN AND STRUCK TREES AFTER OBSERVING SPLIT NEEDLES ON THE ROTOR/ENGINE TACHOMETER. THE HELICOPTER HAD A PREVIOUS ROTOR-TACH GENERATOR FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A LOOSE CONNECTION, AND WAS ALLEGEDLY REPAIRED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER. THE CONNECTION WAS FOUND TO PRODUCE INTERMITTENT AND INACCURATE INSTRUMENT READINGS WHEN THE WIRE BUNDLE WAS MOVED OR FLEXED. THE POTTING MATERIAL WITHIN THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WAS FOUND IN POOR CONDITION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX96LA279Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHealdsburg, CAThe failure of the pilot to confirm a loss of power before entering autorotation after reading an erroneous instrument indication on the helicopter's dual tachometer. Factors in the accident were the erratic instrument, and maintenance personnel who failed to…Jul 20, 1996 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N124HA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19821109064119ILow Level Operations · Central City, PAPassengers saw a person on the ground with a gun, firing at the rotorcraft. Bullet lodged in passengers foot.Nov 9, 1982 · Minor damage