# Accident 20200201002999A: Hiller UH-12E, Dinosaur, CO, February 1, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 1, 2020, 14:00 local time
- Place: Dinosaur, CO
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: DQMA
- Location: 40.4622° N, 108.9200° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4622&lon=-108.9200&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7173S, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7173S) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hiller UH-12E (registry code 4360122, https://openairdocs.org/model/hiller-uh-12e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C20 series (registry code 03020, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c20-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HILLER UH-12E
- Reported engine: ALLISON 250-C20 SER
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 15,300 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN20LA073](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA073) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200201002999A

## Narrative

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

PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS DEPARTED FROM THE PILOT?S HOME HEADING TO ONE OF THE PASSENGER?S RANCH.  ENROUTE AND AT ABOUT 700 FT AGL, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD GRINDING SOUND AND IMMEDIATELY LOST ENGINE POWER.  THE PILOT INITIATED AN AUTO-ROTATION TO THE GROUND AND LANDED IN APPROXIMATELY 24 INCHES OF SNOW.  DURING LANDING, THE REAR SKIDS TOUCHED THE SNOW FIRST AND BECAUSE OF THE SLOPE OF THE GROUND UNDER THE SNOW, THE FRONT SKIDS DROPPED ABOUT 12 INCHES WHICH FORCED THE TAIL BOOM UP INTO THE TURNING MAIN ROTOR BLADES.

THE HELICOPTER IS CURRENTLY IN AN AREA THAT'S INACCESSIBLE TO INVESTIGATORS.  NTSB, AIRFRAME, AND ENGINE INVESTIGATORS WILL CONDUCT THEIR INVESTIGATION IN LATE MAY 2020 TO DETERMINE THE PROBABLE CAUSE.

## 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 CEN20LA073](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA073), Feb 1, 2020: Hiller UH 12E (N7173S), Dinosaur, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: Failure of a S4 compressor blade due to a fatigue crack that likely initiated at a corrosion pit. Contributing to the accident was maintenance personnel’s failure to detect the corrosion pits during…

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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