# Accident 19980814020869A: Hiller FH1100, Dewitt, MI, August 14, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 14, 1998, 16:20 local time
- Place: Dewitt, MI
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.8590° N, 84.5895° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.8590&lon=-84.5895&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8171U, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8171U-2017-03-24) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 (registry code 3376502, https://openairdocs.org/model/fairchild-hiller-fh-1100) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250 series (registry code 03014, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HILLER FH1100
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98FA313](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98FA313) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980814020869A

## Narrative

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

HELICOPTER CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJ. (-23) DURING CRUISE FLIGHT ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE SEPARATED FORM ITS HUB, FOLLOWED BY THE OTHER TAIL ROTOR BALDE, LFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, MAIN ROTOR BLADE CUT THROUGH TAIL BOOM & CABIN, & ROTOR MAST SEPARATED BELOW TEETERING STOPS, CABIN SECTION IMPACTED SEMI-INVERTED IN A FIELD.  PILOT WAS THROWN FROM WRECKAGE DURING FLIGHT AND RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.

## 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 CHI98FA313](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98FA313), Aug 14, 1998: Hiller FH-1100 (N8171U), Dewitt, MI, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The rotor failure/malfunction due to debonding of the tail rotor blade. Also causal was the inadequate maintenance inspection of the aircraft by the company and the improper maintenance procedure by…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.