- Date
- September 20, 2018, 07:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Frankfort, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1349AHiller UH 12E
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180920013899A
- Case key
- 98391
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 ground crewmember's improper grabbing of the hovering helicopter's skid during an external load hook-up, which resulted in the helicopter descending and the main rotors striking ground equipment.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot in the skid-equipped helicopter reported that he established a hover over a seeding bucket so that the ground crew could attach the bucket to the helicopter's cargo hook. One of the ground crewmembers grabbed the skid while trying to connect the bucket, and subsequently, the helicopter descended, which resulted in the main rotor blades striking ground equipment. The helicopter subsequently came to rest upright on top of a grass bale in front of the equipment. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor and tail rotor drive systems. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the skid-equipped helicopter reported that he established a hover over a seeding bucket, so that the bucket could be attached to the helicopter's cargo hook by the ground crew. One of the ground crewmembers grabbed the skid while trying to connect the bucket, and the helicopter descended. The main rotor blades struck the auger on the seed tender. The helicopter came to rest upright, on top of a grass bale in front of the seed tender. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor and the tail rotor drive systems. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1349A
- Reported as
- Hiller UH 12E (Undesignat)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2035
- Built
- 1960
- Airframe hours
- 4,654.1
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-C2A, 340 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External load · Part 133
- Operator
- Sky Copters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Sky Copters Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 2, 2018
- Departed
- Frankfort, KS
- Destination
- Frankfort, KS
- Equipment
- None
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 2, 2017
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 11,030 total · 6,980 in this make and model · 10,925 as pilot in command · 59 in the last 90 days · 54 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 13 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- KBIE, 39 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 13, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 MB in all.
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 N1349A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.