20080404832169A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hiller UH-12E · La Porte, TX · April 4, 2008

Date: April 4, 2008 · 15:10 local
Place: La Porte, TX
Airport: La Porte Municipal
Phase of flight: Hovering
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N40289
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN08LA071
Reported as: Hiller UH12E
Reported engine: Lycoming VO540C2A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 18,500 total700 in this make and model90 in the last 90 days

N40289Registration cancelled Nov 15, 2012 · Hiller UH-12ES/N 5096 · Built 1979 Airframe modelHiller UH-12E Engine 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) Aircraft control was lost while doing hover practice in the grassy area at the approach end of runway 05 at the La Porte (T41) airport. Pilot stated he could not gain control of aircraft after turning downwind. Pilot decided to make a run on landing and hit hard on the left skid breaking it off. The tail boom was then severed by the main rotor. The aircraft then made several 360 degree turns along the ground due to the main rotor striking the ground. The aircraft came to rest on its right side facing sw. The winds were out of the se at 13 knots gusting to 23. Weather data indicates that the winds shifted to out of the nw 13 to 20 mph with higher gusts at approximately the same time as the reported accident. The aircraft was destroyed and there were no fires. The pilot sustained injuries and was taken to the hospital.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT CONTROL WAS LOST WHILE DOING HOVER PRACTICE IN THE GRASSY AREA AT THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 05 AT THE LA PORTE (T41) AIRPORT. PILOT STATED HE COULD NOT GAIN CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT AFTER TURNING DOWNWIND. PILOT DECIDED TO MAKE A RUN ON LANDING AND HIT HARD ON THE LEFT SKID BREAKING IT OFF. THE TAIL BOOM WAS THEN SEVERED BY THE MAIN ROTOR. THE AIRCRAFT THEN MADE SEVERAL 360 DEGREE TURNS ALONG THE GROUND DUE TO THE MAIN ROTOR STRIKING THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE FACING SW. THE WINDS WERE OUT OF THE SE AT 13 KNOTS GUSTING TO 23. WEATHER DATA INDICATES THAT THE WINDS SHIFTED TO OUT OF THE NW 13 TO 20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME TIME AS THE REPORTED ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THERE WERE NO FIRES. THE PILOT SUSTAINED INJURIES AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL.

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 DEN08LA071Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLa Porte, TXThe loss of tail rotor effectiveness. Contributing factors were the sudden windshift to a tailwind, and the pilot initiating a hovering turn in ground effect.Apr 4, 2008 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N40289 · 1

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

Accident 19800512013099APwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft · Oak Hill, WVMade hard tail-low landing from low rotor RPM. Helicopter bounced, made 180, landed in brush and rolled over.May 12, 1980 · Substantial damage