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20050921020819A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hiller UH-12E · Five Points, CA · September 21, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 21, 2005 · 22:00 local
Place
Five Points, CA
Phase of flight
Pwr Off Vert Land/Autorotate
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
JAGG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N141HA
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX05CA313
Reported as
Hiller UH12E
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
9,000 total6,000 in this make and model150 in the last 90 days
N141HARegistration cancelled Jan 2, 2018 · Hiller UH-12ES/N HA3041 · Built 1976Airframe 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.

(-23) On 9/21/2005, at approximately 2200 hours PDT, Hiller UH-12E helicopter, N141HA, crashed approximately 12.5 miles west of Five Points, CA. N141HA, operated by huron ag helicopters, was conducting agricultural aerial application operations under 14 CFR 137 in VMC conditions. The pilot privacy data omitted completed spraying a load of organic biological pesticide and pulled up in a left pedal turn to return to the service truck for refueling and reloading. During the zero airspeed turn at 75' AGL, the engine lost power due to fuel starvation. The PIC leveled the helicopter with cyclic control and entered autorotation causing a skids level hard landing at zero forward speed. The helicopter bounced approximately two feet high at ground impact causing the main rotor blades to flex down and sever the tail boom. The helicopter rotated violently to the right and impacted the ground a second time coming to rest on the right skid supported by the main rotor blade. The pilot was not injured, and no spillage of pesticide occurred.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 9/21/2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 2200 HOURS PDT, HILLER UH-12E HELICOPTER, N141HA, CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 12.5 MILES WEST OF FIVE POINTS, CA. N141HA, OPERATED BY HURON AG HELICOPTERS, WAS CONDUCTING AGRICULTURAL AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATIONS UNDER 14 CFR 137 IN VMC CONDITIONS. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ COMPLETED SPRAYING A LOAD OF ORGANIC BIOLOGICAL PESTICIDE AND PULLED UP IN A LEFT PEDAL TURN TO RETURN TO THE SERVICE TRUCK FOR REFUELING AND RELOADING. DURING THE ZERO AIRSPEED TURN AT 75' AGL, THE ENGINE LOST POWER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE PIC LEVELED THE HELICOPTER WITH CYCLIC CONTROL AND ENTERED AUTOROTATION CAUSING A SKIDS LEVEL HARD LANDING AT ZERO FORWARD SPEED. THE HELICOPTER BOUNCED APPROXIMATELY TWO FEET HIGH AT GROUND IMPACT CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO FLEX DOWN AND SEVER THE TAIL BOOM. THE HELICOPTER ROTATED VIOLENTLY TO THE RIGHT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND A SECOND TIME COMING TO REST ON THE RIGHT SKID SUPPORTED BY THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, AND NO SPILLAGE OF PESTICIDE OCCURRED.

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 LAX05CA313Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportFive Points, CAThe pilot's failure to refuel the helicopter, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.Sep 22, 2005 · Substantial damage