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19980426007589A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Hiller FH-1100 · Stevensville, MD · April 26, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 26, 1998 · 14:15 local
Place
Stevensville, MD
Phase of flight
Unauth Low Level Opns
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N1345Q
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD98FA049
Reported as
Hiller FH1100
Reported engine
Allison 250C18B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
5,903 total15 in this make and model102 in the last 90 days
N1345QRegistration cancelled Apr 11, 2013 · Fairchild Hiller FH-1100S/N 180 · Built 1969Airframe modelFairchild Hiller FH-1100Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

(-23)The helicopter crashed in a field after an in-flight separation of the rotor system. The helicopter was destroyed by the post crash fire. The cause of the in-flight break-up is still being investigated. (.4) the two pilots departed on a local flight to photograph waterfront real estate. Witnesses described the helicopter performing abrupt maneuvers at low level near their homes. A witness in close proximity to the accident site said, 'the rotor flew off and the blade hit the cabin side...it was at a hover. The nose angled up, the rotor hit the cabin, and the person came out. The nose pitched up before the blade hit the cabin...there was engine noise all along.' The main rotor hub and blade assembly, with the top portion of the main rotor mast attached, was located approximately 190 feet prior to the main wreckage. The mast fracture was aligned with the bottom of the hub at the static stops and the mast exhibited overload fractures with no evidence of fatigue. No historical records existed for the helicopter. Examination of records revealed the annual inspection and airworthiness certificate were signed and produced by unqualified personnel. The owner/operator signed o ff overhaul of time limited components with no evidence of work performed. Examination of the master caution annunciator panel revealed that the primary hydraulics and main generator segments had no light bulbs installed. Examination of NTSB accident records revealed the helicopter was 'demolished' and de-registered after an accident in 1988.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)THE HELICOPTER CRASHED IN A FIELD AFTER AN IN-FLIGHT SEPARATION OF THE ROTOR SYSTEM. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED BY THE POST CRASH FIRE. THE CAUSE OF THE IN-FLIGHT BREAK-UP IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED. (.4) THE TWO PILOTS DEPARTED ON A LOCAL FLIGHT TO PHOTOGRAPH WATERFRONT REAL ESTATE. WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE HELICOPTER PERFORMING ABRUPT MANEUVERS AT LOW LEVEL NEAR THEIR HOMES. A WITNESS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE ACCIDENT SITE SAID, 'THE ROTOR FLEW OFF AND THE BLADE HIT THE CABIN SIDE...IT WAS AT A HOVER. THE NOSE ANGLED UP, THE ROTOR HIT THE CABIN, AND THE PERSON CAME OUT. THE NOSE PITCHED UP BEFORE THE BLADE HIT THE CABIN...THERE WAS ENGINE NOISE ALL ALONG.' THE MAIN ROTOR HUB AND BLADE ASSEMBLY, WITH THE TOP PORTION OF THE MAIN ROTOR MAST ATTACHED, WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 190 FEET PRIOR TO THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE MAST FRACTURE WAS ALIGNED WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE HUB AT THE STATIC STOPS AND THE MAST EXHIBITED OVERLOAD FRACTURES WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE. NO HISTORICAL RECORDS EXISTED FOR THE HELICOPTER. EXAMINATION OF RECORDS REVEALED THE ANNUAL INSPECTION AND AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE WERE SIGNED AND PRODUCED BY UNQUALIFIED PERSONNEL. THE OWNER/OPERATOR SIGNED O FF OVERHAUL OF TIME LIMITED COMPONENTS WITH NO EVIDENCE OF WORK PERFORMED. EXAMINATION OF THE MASTER CAUTION ANNUNCIATOR PANEL REVEALED THAT THE PRIMARY HYDRAULICS AND MAIN GENERATOR SEGMENTS HAD NO LIGHT BULBS INSTALLED. EXAMINATION OF NTSB ACCIDENT RECORDS REVEALED THE HELICOPTER WAS 'DEMOLISHED' AND DE-REGISTERED AFTER AN ACCIDENT IN 1988.

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 IAD98FA049Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportStevensville, MDThe pilot's abrupt, low-g maneuver, which resulted in mast bumping and separation of the main rotor system.Apr 26, 1998 · Destroyed

Other reports on N1345Q · 2

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

Accident 19880911070769APicacho, AZIndicates second pilot was at control on impact. Neither pilot helicopter rated. Helicopter not ceritifed for flightSep 11, 1988 · DestroyedAccident 19820826042199APwr Off Run Land (Autorotation · Mason City, NVHelicopter crashed during emergency landing after fuel control failure. P/N684871.Aug 26, 1982 · Substantial damage