- Date
- September 15, 1983, 09:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tulelake, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N871HHiller UH12L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830915049199A
- Case key
- 23574
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.
In flight collision with terrain/water
Terrain condition - dirt bank/rising embankmentFactor
Clearance - misjudgedCause
In flight collision with object
Object - vehicleFactor
Analysis
The helicopter was on an agricultural spraying operation. While performing a turn-around, a spray boom struck a raised dirt bank beside a ditch at the edge of the field. Subsequently, the helicopter was pitched down & to the right, then impacted an upright portion of a flat bed truck, crashed & burned. No preimpact/mechanical failure was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N871H
- Reported as
- Hiller UH12L
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1318
- Airframe hours
- 5,448
- Engine
- Lycoming TIVO-540-A2A, 315 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Howard Zweifel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 2, 1983
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 400 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LMT, 30 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.