20110601010959A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Hiller UH-12E · Stockton, CA · June 1, 2011

Date: June 1, 2011 · 16:30 local
Place: Stockton, CA
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: LWZG
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N68012
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR11LA244
Reported as: Hiller UH-12E
Reported engine: Lycoming VO-540-C2A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,356 total1,375 in this make and model70 in the last 90 days

N68012Registration cancelled Jul 29, 2013 · Hiller UH-12ES/N 1500 Airframe modelHiller UH-12E

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.

Pilot was performing low level agricultural operations drying cherry trees. Heavy vibration occurred and pilot initiated a precautionary landing when the helicopter yawed to the left. The pilot immediately applied right pedal and entered a short autorotation through the trees and hit the ground hard in a level position. Helicopter destroyed. Pilot sustained no injuries and walked away from wreckage.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS PERFORMING LOW LEVEL AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS DRYING CHERRY TREES. HEAVY VIBRATION OCCURRED AND PILOT INITIATED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING WHEN THE HELICOPTER YAWED TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY APPLIED RIGHT PEDAL AND ENTERED A SHORT AUTOROTATION THROUGH THE TREES AND HIT THE GROUND HARD IN A LEVEL POSITION. HELICOPTER DESTROYED. PILOT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES AND WALKED AWAY FROM WRECKAGE.

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 WPR11LA244Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportStockton, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from obstacles.Jun 1, 2011 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N68012 · 1

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

Accident 19870620020989ATo Running(Helicopter/Vtol Ac) · Ray, NDThe helicopter hit a wire during takeoff. The wire and poles were hidden by trees.Jun 20, 1987 · Substantial damage