- Date
- September 3, 2001, 16:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Lubbock, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2770Hiller UH-12D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010903024659A
- Case key
- 53166
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 tail rotor drive shaft hanger bearing, which resulted in the separation of the tail rotor drive shaft. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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 helicopter pilot was spraying a cotton field at 4 feet agl, when he felt a vibration followed by a "pop" with a loss of tail rotor control. Subsequently, during the forced landing to the cotton field, the main rotor blades struck the tailboom separating it from the fuselage. Examination of the helicopter, by an FAA inspector revealed that a tail rotor drive shaft hanger bearing had failed, and the tail rotor drive shaft had separated.
Factual narrative
On September 3, 2001, at 1610 central daylight time, a Hiller UH-12D agricultural helicopter, N2770, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of directional control near Lubbock, Texas. The helicopter was registered to the pilot and operated by Aero Management, Inc., of Olton, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The local flight originated from the Town and Country Airpark Airport, Lubbock, Texas, at 1515.
The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that while spraying a cotton field, at 4 feet agl, he felt a vibration followed by a "pop" with a loss of tail rotor control. Subsequently, during the forced landing to the cotton field, the main rotor blades struck the tailboom separating it from the fuselage.
Examination of the helicopter by the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, revealed that a tail rotor drive shaft hanger bearing had failed, and the tail rotor drive shaft had separated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2770
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1250
- Airframe hours
- 7,946
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1C, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Aero Management, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Micky Price
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2001 · 79 hours before
- Departed
- F82 · Lubbock, TX
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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- October 4, 1999
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 15,400 total · 400 in this make and model · 15,204 as pilot in command · 235 in the last 90 days · 105 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 235° at 5 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.