- Date
- July 8, 1983, 20:12 local (Jul 9, 1983, 01:12 UTC)
- Place
- Huntsville, AL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N922TEHiller UH-12B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830708034559A
- Case key
- 5929
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The helicopter was damaged in a forced autorotative landing after the engine quit at 1200 ft MSL in cruise flt. The acftlanded in a mowed wheat field and the right skid dug into the soft ground. The plt and passengers declared no injureis. The plt said the ride in the back of a pick-up truck across the rough field after the landing was much worse than the actual acft landing. The plt stated that the acft had 2 hours fuel on board and the engine quit after 1 hour and 36 minutes. When the engine was examined after the accident the inlet line to the carburetor was opened. No fuel was noted. The lines to the boost bump were opened. No fuel was noted. The outlet line from the fuel tank was opened. No fuel was noted. The gascolator contained 2 ounces of fuel. The capacity is 4 to 6 ounces. The fuel tank drain was opened and one quart of fuel was removed. The carburetor was drained and 4 drops of fuel were recovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N922TE
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 714
- Airframe hours
- 2,988
- Engine
- Franklin 6V4-335-5D, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Helicopter Enterprises
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 12, 1983 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- DCV · Decatur, AL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,975 total · 15 in this make and model · 4,929 as pilot in command · 77 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 40° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Observed at
- MSL, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N922TE · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.