20000126000629A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hiller UH-12E · Five Points, CA · January 26, 2000

Date
January 26, 2000 · 13:30 local
Place
Five Points, CA
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
JAGG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N68024
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX00LA077
Reported as
Hiller UH12E
Reported engine
Lycoming VO540C2A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
15,000 total9,000 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

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) After takeoff from the platform of an ag truck, the pilot attempted to fly his helicopter under some telephone wires. The tail rotor struck and severed one of the telephone wires causing the helicopter to spin out of control and crash in an agriculture field. There was substantial damage to the main rotor, tail rotor, landing gear (skids), hopper tank and spray rig. A sight spillage of chemical occurred at the site of the accident. The pilot was not injured and there was no property damage. Weather and wind was not a factor in this accident. (.19) on January 26, 2000, about 1330 hours pacific standard time, a Hiller UH-12E, N68024, operated by huron ag helicopters, huron, California, collided with a wire while maneuvering during an aerial application flight approximately 5 miles south of Five Points, California. The flight was being performed under the provisions of 14 CFR part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was substantially damaged, and the commercial pilot was not injured. The flight originated from a vehicle parked near the accident site field about 1329. According to the federal aviation administration ( FAA) coordinator, during an interview, the pilot indicated that while preparing to spray chemicals over the field he intentionally maneuvered beneath telephone wires and the tail rotor inadvertently contacted the wire. Thereafter, he lost control of the helicopter and performed a forced landing on the field. The FAA further reported that the wires' elevation above ground level was preliminarily estimated between 25 and 30 feet. Evidence was observed of one wire having been impact damaged. Both of the helicopter's tail rotor blades were observed severed. (.4)on January 26, 2000, about 1330 hours pacific standard time, a Hiller UH-12E, N68024, operated by huron ag helicopters, huron, California, collided with a wire while maneuvering during an aerial application flight approximately 5 miles south of Five Points, California. The flight was being performed under the provisions of 14 CFR part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was substantially damaged, and the commercial pilot was not injured. The flight originated from huron about 1300. According to the pilot, he took off from a loading truck for the second time with the intention of spraying a nearby field. He flew over a road and maneuvered beneath a telephone line. The helicopter's tail rotor contacted the line and he lost control. The helicopter spun around and impacted the ground. The federal aviation administration coordinator estimated that the impacted wire had been suspended 25 to 30 feet above ground level. Both of the helicopter's tail rotor blades were severed, and other structural damaged resulted when the helicopter impacted the ground.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE PLATFORM OF AN AG TRUCK, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO FLY HIS HELICOPTER UNDER SOME TELEPHONE WIRES. THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK AND SEVERED ONE OF THE TELEPHONE WIRES CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASH IN AN AGRICULTURE FIELD. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR, TAIL ROTOR, LANDING GEAR (SKIDS), HOPPER TANK AND SPRAY RIG. A SIGHT SPILLAGE OF CHEMICAL OCCURRED AT THE SITE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AND THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE. WEATHER AND WIND WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT. (.19) ON JANUARY 26, 2000, ABOUT 1330 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A HILLER UH-12E, N68024, OPERATED BY HURON AG HELICOPTERS, HURON, CALIFORNIA, COLLIDED WITH A WIRE WHILE MANEUVERING DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES SOUTH OF FIVE POINTS, CALIFORNIA. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING PERFORMED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 137. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A VEHICLE PARKED NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE FIELD ABOUT 1329. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION ( FAA) COORDINATOR, DURING AN INTERVIEW, THE PILOT INDICATED THAT WHILE PREPARING TO SPRAY CHEMICALS OVER THE FIELD HE INTENTIONALLY MANEUVERED BENEATH TELEPHONE WIRES AND THE TAIL ROTOR INADVERTENTLY CONTACTED THE WIRE. THEREAFTER, HE LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AND PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING ON THE FIELD. THE FAA FURTHER REPORTED THAT THE WIRES' ELEVATION ABOVE GROUND LEVEL WAS PRELIMINARILY ESTIMATED BETWEEN 25 AND 30 FEET. EVIDENCE WAS OBSERVED OF ONE WIRE HAVING BEEN IMPACT DAMAGED. BOTH OF THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE OBSERVED SEVERED. (.4)ON JANUARY 26, 2000, ABOUT 1330 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A HILLER UH-12E, N68024, OPERATED BY HURON AG HELICOPTERS, HURON, CALIFORNIA, COLLIDED WITH A WIRE WHILE MANEUVERING DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES SOUTH OF FIVE POINTS, CALIFORNIA. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING PERFORMED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 137. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM HURON ABOUT 1300. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE TOOK OFF FROM A LOADING TRUCK FOR THE SECOND TIME WITH THE INTENTION OF SPRAYING A NEARBY FIELD. HE FLEW OVER A ROAD AND MANEUVERED BENEATH A TELEPHONE LINE. THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL ROTOR CONTACTED THE LINE AND HE LOST CONTROL. THE HELICOPTER SPUN AROUND AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION COORDINATOR ESTIMATED THAT THE IMPACTED WIRE HAD BEEN SUSPENDED 25 TO 30 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. BOTH OF THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE SEVERED, AND OTHER STRUCTURAL DAMAGED RESULTED WHEN THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND.

NTSB investigation

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

Other reports on N68024 · 2

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