- Date
- May 22, 1985, 13:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Junction City, KS
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 7 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7053RPiper PA-28-140USABell UH-1V
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850522023321A
- Case key
- 21550
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
Army UH-1V and N7053R, a Piper PA-28, collided in mid air at 700 feet AGL. Both acft were in lvl flt. UH-1V was operating on a medical evacuation flt with a crew of four, one patient and two attendants. The UH-1V executed a successful autorotation with substantial damage and no injuries. The Piper crashed out of control after its right wing was cut off by the helicopter's rotor blades. The army pilots reported that when the Piper was first sighted it was 45 degrees to the right of their aircraft's nose. The helicopter pilot began a diving left turn but it was too late. The co-pilot stated that the Piper executed an extremely steep right turn just before impact. The pilot of the Piper received fatal injuries. Both aircraft had the forward half of the rotating beacons covered. The UH-1V with tape and the Piper with black paint.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N7053R
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-21751
- Airframe hours
- 2,399
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jeffery M Hoch
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 15, 1984 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- 7K1 · Herington, KS
- Destination
- MHK · Manhattan, KS
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.
- Registration
- USA
- Reported as
- Bell UH-1V
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 71-20105
- Airframe hours
- 4,671
- Engine
- Lycoming T53-L133A, 1,400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Armed forces
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- FRI · Ft. Riley, KS
- Destination
- TOP · Topeka, KS
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N7053R
- Age
- 25
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 127 total · 118 in this make and model · 82 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft 2
- Age
- 38
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Unknown, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,560 total · 3,500 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FRI, 5 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.