- Date
- May 30, 2003, 09:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cheyenne, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N508SQHiller UH-12E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 5, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSFO
- FAA report
- 20030530010949A
- Case key
- 57084
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 aircraft control. A contributing to the accident was the sudden tailwind encountered.
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
According to the pilot, he was spraying vegetation along the railroad. He was reversing course for a second application pass and began a "cyclic climb/ag turn" when he encountered a gust of wind, "approximately 15-20 miles per hour," from his "6 o'clock position." The pilot stated he was unable to recover before he hit the ground. Subsequently, the helicopter rolled on its right side, and the main rotor blades separated. Approximately 11 minutes after the accident, winds in the area were reported as 320 degrees at 12 knots with gusts to 17 knots.
Factual narrative
On May 30, 2003, at approximately 0900 mountain daylight time, a Hiller UH-12E helicopter, N508SQ, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering south of Cheyenne, Wyoming. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. Reforestation Services, Inc., of Salem, Oregon, was operating the helicopter under Title 14 CFR Part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this local aerial application flight, which originated approximately 15 minutes prior to the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.
According to the pilot, he was spraying vegetation along the Union Pacific railroad tracks. He was reversing course for a second application pass and began a "cyclic climb/ag turn" when he encountered a gust of wind, "approximately 15-20 miles per hour," from his "6 o'clock position." The pilot stated he was unable to recover before he hit the ground. Subsequently, the helicopter rolled on its right side, and the main rotor blades separated. An examination of the helicopter's systems revealed no anomalies.
At 0911the Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) from Cheyenne reported winds from 320 degrees at 12 knots with gusts to 17 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N508SQ
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 5086
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce 250-C20, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- NONE · Cheyenne, WY
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
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- May 15, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,500 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 11,300 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- CYS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.