- Date
- August 3, 1988, 05:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bard, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N14633Hiller UH12E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report November 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880803029969A
- Case key
- 25734
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.
Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical
Fluid,fuel - exhaustionCause
Preflight planning/preparation - inadequateCause
Fuel consumption calculations - inaccurateCause
In flight collision with terrain/water
Rotorcraft flight controls - improper use ofFactor
Analysis
During helicopter aerial application, engine power was lost. Plt applied back cyclic and tail rotor contacted terrain, followed by hard landing. Investigation revealed less than useable fuel remaining.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N14633
- Reported as
- Hiller UH12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 6312869
- Airframe hours
- 2,631
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-C2A, 305 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- West Farm Air, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Smith, James P
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 22, 1988 · 72 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
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 12,300 total · 3,800 in this make and model · 11,700 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 95 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.