- Date
- August 18, 1984, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Watsonville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5353VHiller UH-12E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840818041449A
- Case key
- 24373
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 object
Object - utility poleFactor
Clearance - not maintainedCause
Distance - misjudgedCause
Forced landing
Analysis
The acft collided with a utility pole and was forced to land. The plt reported that on his last spray run in trying to do a better job than anyone else, he came to close to the pole. His rotor made contact with the pole. During the forced landing the landing gear collapsed. The plt said that there was 'no excuse' for the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5353V
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2031
- Airframe hours
- 7,011
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Bryant D. Pearson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 9,196 total · 109 in this make and model · 9,037 as pilot in command · 109 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.