- Date
- July 8, 1983, 09:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lancaster, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N64861Hiller UH 12-E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830708030029A
- Case key
- 23881
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
According to the pilot, after spraying an onion field he was departing for the next job when he noted an increase in engine RPM and a decrease in rotor RPM. Unable to maintain altitude, he made an emergency landing aprx 200 feet AGL. Prior to landing, the pilot observed smoke and flame coming from behind the cockpit area, apparently from the engine transmission area. A teardown inspection of the transmission and clutch assembly revealed discoloration of the clutch assembly indicating that it had been overheated from friction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64861
- Reported as
- Hiller UH 12-E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1697
- Airframe hours
- 3,828
- Engine
- Lycoming VO 540-C2A, 305 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Aerohead Helicopters
- Registered owner
- James P. Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 25, 1983 · 93 hours before
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 450 in this make and model · 11 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- WJF, 4 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.