- Date
- July 2, 1991, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Savoy, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N94515Hiller UH-12D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910702025679A
- Case key
- 15111
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 failure to maintain tail rotor clearance from the ground. A related factor is the pilot's lack of total experience in helicopters.
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 commercial airplane pilot was performing 'quick stop' maneuvers while practicing for his helicopter rating. He reported that he entered the maneuver at 20 feet above the ground, then made several adjustments with both cyclic and collective in an attempt to maintain rotor RPM and altitude. The helicopter descended during the maneuver and the tail rotor struck the ground. The pilot stated that he began to lose directional control after the tail rotor ground contact, so he reduced collective and made a hard landing on the grass adjacent to the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N94515
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1172
- Airframe hours
- 7,124
- Engine
- Lycoming V0-435-23C-8, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Board Of Trustees-U. Of I.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 28, 1991 · 4 hours before
- Airport
- CMI · Champaign-Willard
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
- 25
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 360 total · 42 in this make and model · 276 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.