- Date
- March 9, 1989, 14:55 local (21:55 UTC)
- Place
- Golden, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7411NHiller UH-12E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890309003449A
- Case key
- 17679
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
Improper in-flight planning/decision by the CFI which resulted in loss of tail rotor effectiveness and loss of directional control. Contributing factors were high density altitude, tailwind, and rough/uneven terrain.
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 instructor (CFI) & dual student were practicing pinnacle apchs. The CFI was flying the helicopeter as an apch was made to a 6318' pinnacle from the southeast. According to the student, the wind was from the east at 8 to 10 KTS. As the CFI flew to a 4' hover, there was a loss of tail rotor control & the helicopter began an uncommanded right turn. The CFI made a hovering autorotation, but the helicopter touched down on an outcropping of rock & rocked backward. Subsequently, the tail stinger & tail rotor blades struck the terrain & the helicopter was damaged. Later, the CFI said he believed the tail rotor control cables had unspooled from the drum & resulted in the loss of control. However, a post-acdnt exam failed to reveal evidence of a pre-acdnt failure or malfunction. Density alt was aprx 8600'. Aprx 7 mieast at jeffco arpt, the wind was from 140 deg at 10 KTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7411N
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2110
- Airframe hours
- 5,885
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-C2A, 305 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Harry G. Laforge, doing business as Hoffman Pilot Center
- Registered owner
- Harry G Laforge
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 15, 1988 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- BJC · Broomfield, CO
- Destination
- BJC
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
- 42
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,897 total · 350 in this make and model · 1,457 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BJC, 7 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.
Other investigations on N7411N · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.