- Date
- February 3, 1985, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Five Points, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5323VHiller UH12E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850203071909A
- Case key
- 24468
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
While performing an ag flight the helicopter's engin suddenly lost power. At the time the aircraft was near its max allowable gross weight and it was between 3-5FT AGL. As the aircraft yawed left and descended. The pilot in command attempted to land on a small dirt road. The pilot incommand missed the road, collided with the embankment of of a canal and the aircraft rolled over. Examination of the engine revealed that the rod bolts to the #1 con rod were broken. One of the nuts had backed off from the rod bolt. Examination of the bolts in the other 5 cylinders disclosed that none of them had been tightened in accordance with manufacturer's overhaul specifications. The aircraft's owner performed the last moh on the engine 907 hours prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5323V
- Reported as
- Hiller UH12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 942
- Airframe hours
- 3,767
- Engine
- Lycoming VO540-C1A, 305 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Westside Ag Aviation
- Registered owner
- Coalinga Commuter & Cargo Al
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 4, 1984 · 53 hours before
- Departed
- Five Points, CA
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.