- Date
- May 22, 1989, 09:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Waterford, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3829Hiller UH-12E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 2, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890522012119A
- Case key
- 14206
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inability to maintain control during an autorotational landing attempt following the failure of the main rotor drive train torsional coupling.
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
While in normal cruise flight the helicopter experienced a vibration. The pilot elected to make a precautionary landing and during attempted autorotation control was lost. The investigation revealed the main rotor drive train torsional coupling had failed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3829
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1425
- Airframe hours
- 5,851
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-C2A, 305 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- A.I.R. Helicopter Service, Inc
- Registered owner
- Jon Mar Leasing Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1988 · 64 hours before
- Departed
- Waterford, WI
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 4,200 total · 800 in this make and model · 4,200 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.