# Accident 20130206001079A: Hiller UH-12B, Meritt Island, FL, February 6, 2013

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 6, 2013, 18:09 local time
- Place: Meritt Island, FL
- Airport: Merritt Island
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: FBPJ
- Location: 28.3414° N, 80.6853° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.3414&lon=-80.6853&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5072R, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5072R) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hiller UH-12B (registry code 4360110, https://openairdocs.org/model/hiller-uh-12b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Franklin 6V 350 series (registry code 27043, https://openairdocs.org/engine/franklin-6v-350-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HILLER UH-12B
- Reported engine: FRANKLIN 6V 350
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 977 total, 20 in this make and model, 165 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA13LA127](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13LA127) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130206001079A

## Narrative

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

ON 02/06/2013 THE PILOT OF A HILLER UH-12B REGISTRATION N5072R, WAS PERFORMING AIR TOUR RIDES FOR FLORIDA BIPLANES,INC, AT MERRITT ISLAND AIRPORT (KCOI). THE FIRST 5 FLIGHTS WERE UNEVENTFUL BUT ON THE 6TH FLIGHT THE HELICOPTER LOST POWER ON CLIMBOUT AND WAS FORCED TO DO AN EMERGENCY LANDING.

THE INCIDENT FLIGHT WAS AT 1800LT - ON WARM UP, NO ABNORMALITIES OR UNUSUAL SOUNDS OR VIBRATIONS WERE NOTED. DURING TAKEOFF ALL TEMPS & PRESSURES WERE CONFIRMED NORMAL AND POWER APPEARED NORMAL. THE HOVER WAS STABLE WITH NOTHING UNUSUAL NOTED. THE DEPARTURE WAS NORMAL & SMOOTH WITH A CHECK PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT.

WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 75 TO 100 FEET, THE PILOT HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER. TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM THE COLLECTIVE WAS LOWERED AND RIGHT PEDAL PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO COUNTER A LEFT YAW THAT OCCURRED. UPON APPROACHING THE GROUND BACK PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE CYCLIC TO REDUCE THE AIRSPEED AND PREPARE FOR GROUND CONTACT. UNABLE TO OBTAIN FLIGHT DIRECTION HEADING CONTROL WITH RIGHT RUDDER PRESSURE, THE PILOT APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC TO LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT, PLANNING FOR A LEVEL SHIP LANDING,AND PULLED COLLECTIVE PRIOR  TO GROUND CONTACT.

GROUND CONTACT WAS MADE WITH A SLIGHT FORWARD AIRSPEED & A SLIGHT LEFT YAW DURING THE GROUND RUN. THE LEFT SKID COLLAPSED AT THE END OF THE SLIDE. AT THIS POINT THE PILOT REACHED DOWN AND PULLED & CONFIRMED ALL ENGINE CONTROLS WERE CLOSED.

THE PILOT CHECKED ON THE CONDITION OF THE PASSENGERS. BECAUSE THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE STILL TURNING, THE PILOT INSTRUCTED BOTH OCCUPANTS TO REMAIN BELTED IN THEIR SEATS UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT STABILIZED. THE PILOT THEN TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH AND ONCE THE AIRCRAFT HAD STABILIZED & THE ROTORS HAD STOPPED ALL THREE LEFT THE AIRCRAFT AND WALKED CLEAR.

## 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 ERA13LA127](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13LA127), Feb 6, 2013: Hiller UH-12B (N5072R), Merritt Island, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from an overstress failure of a fitting on the fuel supply line and led to an autorotation and hard landing.

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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