20150328004619A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Hiller UH-12E · Firebaugh, CA · March 28, 2015

Date: March 28, 2015 · 18:00 local
Place: Firebaugh, CA
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: M8CG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N130HA
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR15LA138
Reported as: Hiller UH-12E
Reported engine: Lycoming VO-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N130HARegistered now · Hiller UH-12ES/N HA3030 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.

While conducting an aerial application on young almond trees the helicopter engine quit and the pilot redirected the helicopter into the wind and made an emergency let down to the ground. The impact with the trees and ground sheared off the tail rotor and damaged the main rotor blades.

No injury to the pilot. The engine may have failed. Fuel sources were checked and not to have had contamination.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE CONDUCTING AN AERIAL APPLICATION ON YOUNG ALMOND TREES THE HELICOPTER ENGINE QUIT AND THE PILOT REDIRECTED THE HELICOPTER INTO THE WIND AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LET DOWN TO THE GROUND. THE IMPACT WITH THE TREES AND GROUND SHEARED OFF THE TAIL ROTOR AND DAMAGED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES.

NO INJURY TO THE PILOT. THE ENGINE MAY HAVE FAILED. FUEL SOURCES WERE CHECKED AND NOT TO HAVE HAD CONTAMINATION.

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 WPR15LA138Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFirebaugh, CAA loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.Mar 29, 2015 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N130HA · 2

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

Accident 20220706012029AManeuver · Wenatchee, WAPilot was drying cherries when he made a turn and hit power lines that went through the field. After hitting the power lines the main rotor separated from the aircraft and the aircraft crash landed on a tractor that was drying cherries from the ground. The…Jul 6, 2022 · Destroyed Accident 19931126046239ALow Level Operations · Moore Haven, FLDuring spray run 5 ft AGL engine sputtered and quit. Pitched up. Fell to ground. Too low for autorotation.Nov 26, 1993 · Substantial damage