- Date
- August 12, 1986, 08:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Salinas, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N169HAHiller UH21E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860812039359A
- Case key
- 24986
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
The plt experienced a 'ratcheting' to the right and a decrease in rotor RPM during cruise flt at 75-100 ft AGL. The plt made an autorotation but could not cushion the landing due to the low alt and lack of rotor RPM. The helicopter impacted hard and cartwheeled. Post accident examination of the helicopter revealed the upper housing oil orifice was completely blocked with a foreign material which resulted in oil starvation to the secondary planet system. The foreign material was analyzed and found to contain 'significant quantities of silicon'.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N169HA
- Reported as
- Hiller UH21E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- HA-3069
- Airframe hours
- 2,940
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-C2A, 340 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Helicair Ag., Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 10, 1986 · 183 hours before
- Departed
- Salinas, CA
- Airport
- SNS · Salinas
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 7,337 total · 3,123 in this make and model · 7,103 as pilot in command · 368 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SNS, 5 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.
Other investigations on N169HA · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.