- Date
- September 10, 1988, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Helm, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4029YHiller UH-12E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 24, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880910038059A
- Case key
- 25755
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
During an aerial application flight, the pilot lost control of the helicopter just after liftoff and collided with the terrain. Inspection of the wreckage revealed that the chemical trucks filler hose was still attached to the helicopter when it lifted off.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4029Y
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 5135
- Airframe hours
- 3,005
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-C2A, 305 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Healy, Joseph G., doing business as Huron Ag Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Russell W. Spencer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 1, 1988 · 47 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 5,500 total · 3,500 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 3 knots, gusting 5
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.