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19981217033619A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hiller UH-12E · Wenatchee, WA · December 17, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 17, 1998 · 16:00 local
Place
Wenatchee, WA
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N893FW
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA99LA022
Reported as
Hiller UH12E
Reported engine
Lycoming VO540*
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
9,800 total4,300 in this make and model95 in the last 90 days
N893FWRegistered now · Hiller UH-12ES/N 5085 · Built 1979Airframe 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.

Public use 1979 Hiller UH-12 helicopter was being used for an aerial survey operation when it experienced engine failure and crashed. (.19)on December 17, 1998, at 1559 pacific standard time , a Hiller UH-12E, N893FW, experienced a loss of engine power and autorotated to the surface one mile northwest of Wenatchee, Washington. The commercial pilot and his two passengers were uninjured, but the helicopter sustained substantial damage. No flight plan was filed for the public-use game survey. Visual meteorological condtions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot disabled the ELT immediately after the impact. The flight had departed Wenatchee about 2.5 hours before the accident. The pilot had planned on flying to rooster, Washington, where a truck was located for refueling. Weather at the refueling site precluded landing, so the pilot had elected to return to Wenatchee. Immediately before the loss of power, the pilot noted a low fuel-pressure light. (-23) engine lost power, auto-rotation initiated. Hard landing resulted in main rotor severing tail boom. No post landing fire. No serious injuries.

As the FAA filed it

PUBLIC USE 1979 HILLER UH-12 HELICOPTER WAS BEING USED FOR AN AERIAL SURVEY OPERATION WHEN IT EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE AND CRASHED. (.19)ON DECEMBER 17, 1998, AT 1559 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME , A HILLER UH-12E, N893FW, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND AUTOROTATED TO THE SURFACE ONE MILE NORTHWEST OF WENATCHEE, WASHINGTON. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE UNINJURED, BUT THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PUBLIC-USE GAME SURVEY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDTIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT DISABLED THE ELT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE IMPACT. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED WENATCHEE ABOUT 2.5 HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT HAD PLANNED ON FLYING TO ROOSTER, WASHINGTON, WHERE A TRUCK WAS LOCATED FOR REFUELING. WEATHER AT THE REFUELING SITE PRECLUDED LANDING, SO THE PILOT HAD ELECTED TO RETURN TO WENATCHEE. IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE LOSS OF POWER, THE PILOT NOTED A LOW FUEL-PRESSURE LIGHT. (-23) ENGINE LOST POWER, AUTO-ROTATION INITIATED. HARD LANDING RESULTED IN MAIN ROTOR SEVERING TAIL BOOM. NO POST LANDING FIRE. NO SERIOUS INJURIES.

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 SEA99LA022Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWenatchee, WAFuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to accomplish refueling.Dec 17, 1998 · Substantial damage