# Accident 20010507011059A: Hiller UH12E, Conchas, NM, May 7, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 7, 2001, 09:00 local time
- Place: Conchas, NM
- Damage: No damage
- Location: 35.2893° N, 104.1896° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2893&lon=-104.1896&mi=10
- Aircraft: N40296 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: HILLER UH12E
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DEN01TA095](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN01TA095) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010507011059A

## Narrative

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

(.19)ON MAY 7, 2001, APPROXIMATELY 0900 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HILLER UH-12E, N40296, UNDER CONTRACT TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING A FORCED LANDING 17 MILES WEST OF CONCHAS, NEW MEXICO. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE PUBLIC USE FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT A STAGING AREA NEAR CONCHAS DAM APPROXIMATELY 0840. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATES THE HELICOPTER HAD JUST BEEN REFUELED AND WAS FLYING AT LOW ALTITUDE IN HUMID AIR. THE PILOT GLANCED AT THE CARBURETOR AIR TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND NOTICED THE NEEDLE WAS IN THE YELLOW RANGE. AS HE STARTED TO APPLY CARBURETOR HEAT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT AUTOROTATED FROM APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 FEET ALTITUDE, AND USED SOME CYCLIC CONTROL TO COVER THE DISTANCE TO AN OPEN AREA. MAIN ROTOR RPM DECAYED AND THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE FLEXED AND STRUCK THE TAILBOOM, AND THE SKIDS COLLAPSED. (-23) ON 05/07/01 AT 0935 MDT A HILLER UH-12E (N40296) OWNED BY MOAIR, INC.                                                 P.O. BOX 1052, ULYSSES, KS 67880, AND OPERATED IN PUBLIC USE FOR THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BY ARLYN E. MILLER, OF MILLER AERO SERVICE, INC., ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER A HARD LANDING CAUSED BY AN ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO INDUCTION ICING WHILE MANEUVERING DURING A PREDATOR CONTROL SEARCH WEST OF CONCHAS LAKE, NM.  THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND THE USDA "SHOOTER" WERE NOT INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT.  OVERCAST VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT UNDER PUBLIC USE THAT DEPARTED A REMOTE FIELD REFUELING SITE AT 0925 MDT.  MR. MILLER HOLDS AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT CERTIFICATE #1847084, WITH AIRPLANE SINGLE & MULTIENGINE LAND, AND ROTORCRAFT - HELICOPTER RATINGS.

## 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 DEN01TA095](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN01TA095), May 7, 2001: Hiller UH-12E (N40296), Conchas, NM, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's misjudgment of the flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing factors were weather conditions conducive to carburetor icing, the pilot's delay in applying carburetor heat, and…

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.

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