- Date
- October 10, 1989, 19:27 local (Oct 11, 1989, 02:27 UTC)
- Place
- Yuma, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N689SBHiller UH-12E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891010039579A
- Case key
- 26542
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 pilot misjudged the flare altitude. Contributing to this accident was the failure of the engine torsional coupling which ultimately caused the total loss of power.
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 pilot completed an aerial application operation at about 200 ft AGL when he noticed the engine RPM decaying. He proceeded to an open area to execute a precautionary landing. Upon arriving over the open area at about 100 ft AGL, the engine sustained a total loss of power. The plt immediately executed an autorotation, but flared too high causing the tail rotor assembly to strike the ground. A wreckage exam dsclsd that the engine torsional coupling rubber mounts had separated. This condition caused an overspeed which ultimately shut down the engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N689SB
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1475
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540, 305 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- West Farm Air Inc.
- Registered owner
- James P. Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 21, 1989 · 56 hours before
- Departed
- Somerton, AZ
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
- 42
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 12,900 total · 3,900 in this make and model · 12,400 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 68 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °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.