- Date
- June 20, 1987, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ray, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N68012Hiller UH-12E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 5, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870620020989A
- Case key
- 17250
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
The plt reports that he was departing from an aerial app operating area. He said there was a tree line along a road with an opening and the takeoff was made toward the opening. There were wires across the opening and the poles were obscured by the trees on either side of the opening. The plt did not see the wires and collided with them during the departure. Tail rotor control was lost as a result of the collision and the acft crashed to the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N68012
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1500
- Airframe hours
- 2,134
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 305 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Pro App Fertilizer, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Pro App Fertilizer Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 22, 1986 · 44 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
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,768 total · 41 in this make and model · 3,700 as pilot in command · 81 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N68012 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.