20130126004689A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hiller-Tri-Plex Ind.Inc. UH-12B · Okeechobee, FL · January 26, 2013

Date: January 26, 2013 · 08:05 local
Place: Okeechobee, FL
Airport: Okeechobee County
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9041U
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA13LA118
Reported as: Hiller-Tri-Plex Ind.Inc. UH-12B
Reported engine: Franklin 6VS-335B
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,000 total50 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N9041URegistration cancelled Feb 27, 2018 · Hiller-Tri-Plex Ind.Inc. UH-12BS/N 359 Airframe modelHiller-Tri-Plex Ind.Inc. UH-12B

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.

At approximately 0730 on Saturday January 26, 2013, a Hiller helicopter departed a farm located at 504 nw 4th st. in Okeechobee, FL with two passengers for a hog hunting adventure. At approximately 0800 while the pilot was maneuvering the helicopter towards a group of hogs the engine RPM started to decay. The pilot tried to add RPM to recover, but the RPM continued its decay. The helicopter continued to settle with power. The flight was being operated at tree top level plus 10 feet when this happened. The pilot maneuvered the helicopter away from some taller trees and landed in some smaller trees where the main and tail rotor struck the trees. Once the helicopter landed in the trees it pitched forward and rolled 45 degrees to the left and impacted the ground in an almost vertical attitude and partially inverted. The two passengers had no injuries and the pilot received a black eye and stiches to his lip

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 0730 ON SATURDAY JANUARY 26, 2013, A HILLER HELICOPTER DEPARTED A FARM LOCATED AT 504 NW 4TH ST. IN OKEECHOBEE, FL WITH TWO PASSENGERS FOR A HOG HUNTING ADVENTURE. AT APPROXIMATELY 0800 WHILE THE PILOT WAS MANEUVERING THE HELICOPTER TOWARDS A GROUP OF HOGS THE ENGINE RPM STARTED TO DECAY. THE PILOT TRIED TO ADD RPM TO RECOVER, BUT THE RPM CONTINUED ITS DECAY. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO SETTLE WITH POWER. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING OPERATED AT TREE TOP LEVEL PLUS 10 FEET WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE HELICOPTER AWAY FROM SOME TALLER TREES AND LANDED IN SOME SMALLER TREES WHERE THE MAIN AND TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE TREES. ONCE THE HELICOPTER LANDED IN THE TREES IT PITCHED FORWARD AND ROLLED 45 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN AN ALMOST VERTICAL ATTITUDE AND PARTIALLY INVERTED. THE TWO PASSENGERS HAD NO INJURIES AND THE PILOT RECEIVED A BLACK EYE AND STICHES TO HIS LIP

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 ERA13LA118Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportOkeechobee, FLThe pilot's failure to monitor carburetor temperature and use carburetor heat in conditions conducive to serious carburetor icing, which resulted in partial loss of engine power.Jan 26, 2013 · Substantial damage