- Date
- August 20, 1988, 16:40 local (21:40 UTC)
- Place
- Paducah, KY
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4828EHiller UH-12A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 4, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880820034309A
- Case key
- 7799
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
After departure the eng quit & PIC made an autorotative landing in a wooded area. Initial exam of eng revealed water in the carb float bowl. Investigation showed helo had 100 hr inspection recorded in the log, but may have been returned to service by mechanic without inspection authorization as an annual inspection. Helo records were obtained by one of the mechanics from the same repair station, but not given to FAA inspector & later lost. Later exam of the eng showed holes in accessory case. Partial teardown showed that the left mag drive coupling nut cotter key was missing. It is believed the cotter key was not installed or was damaged during installation & backed out of the nut allowing the nut to back off & the drive coupling to disconnect. The plt did not file an acc report. The plts log books have not been located. The acft rolled over after lndg.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4828E
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 285
- Engine
- Franklin 6V-335-B, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James F.Allen
- Registered owner
- Cross, Doug A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · August 19, 1989
- Departed
- KY29
- Destination
- New Burnside, IL
- Airport
- KY29 · Farrington Airpark, runway 4, 2,985 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 344 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAH, 10 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.