- Date
- August 4, 1990, 09:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Garrison, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N133HAHiller UH-12-E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900804030089A
- Case key
- 14508
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 failure of the helicopter tail rotor control cable. A factor related to the accident was the chafing of the tail rotor control cable.
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
During the takeoff transition to forward flight the helicopter pilot felt the left antitorque pedal go to the floor, and the helicopter began to rotate uncontrolled. The pilot maneuvered the helicopter to a clear area and attempted to land. Uncontrolled contact was made with the terrain. The investigation revealed that the left tail rotor control cable had failed due to overload in an area which had been subject to mechanical abrasion.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N133HA
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12-E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3033
- Airframe hours
- 1,328
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-C2A, 305 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Morten, Shawn B., doing business as N/A
- Registered owner
- Shawn B Morten
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 1990 · 258 hours before
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
- 29
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 700 in this make and model · 4,700 as pilot in command · 355 in the last 90 days · 177 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIS, 40 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.