- Date
- April 26, 1989, 11:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Salinas, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N169HAHiller UH-12E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890426010059A
- Case key
- 26174
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
The separation of the torsion coupling in the main rotor drive system.
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 engine RPM increased and the rotor RPM decreased. The pilot autorotated to an open field where after touchdown, the main rotor blades severed the tail boom. Inspection of the engine revealed that the torsion coupling was separated in the main rotor drive system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N169HA
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- HA 3069
- Airframe hours
- 4,109
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-C2A, 305 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Helicair Ag Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 17, 1989 · 21 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
- 35
- 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
- 7,576 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 104 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °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.