- Date
- September 11, 1988, 14:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Picacho, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1345QFairchild Hiller FH-1100
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 1, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880911070769A
- Case key
- 25869
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Owner/pic used poor judgement in allowing an unqualified pilot to fly the helicopter when it was not equipped with dual controls.
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 attempting to depart on a VFR personal flight, control of the helicopter was lost and it struck the ground. Neither the flying pilot nor the owner/pic, occupying the left front seat, held a rotorcraft-helicopter rating. The PIC had previously flown helicopters, including the accident helicopter. The aircraft did not have dual controls. The owner/pic and the pilot, who was also a FAA designated medical examiner, initially reported to authorities that the passenger fell out of a pick-up truck. Later, the owner/pic reported to the safety board that he was preflighting the helicopter with the engine running when it rolled over. The post-accident investigation revealed that the helicopter struck the ground under high power in a left, nose down attitude and the evidence indicated that the pilot flying was the pilot with no previous helicopter experience.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1345Q
- Reported as
- Fairchild Hiller FH-1100
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1800
- Airframe hours
- 7,601
- Engine
- Allison 250-C18, 274 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hamilton, William E.
- Registered owner
- William E Hamilton
- Airport
- Ed'S
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
- 53
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 25,169 total · 24,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 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.
Other investigations on N1345Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.