- Date
- June 30, 1999, 07:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Williams, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7173FHiller UH-12ET
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 22, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990630007949A
- Case key
- 47019
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's inadequate preflight planning and verification that fuel was available for the intended flight. A factor was the fuel quantity false indication.
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 spraying a rice field the engine suddenly quit. The pilot force landed in the field severing the tail boom. The pilot reported the turbine powered helicopter had been fueled the day before the accident, however, he did not visually confirm it. The aircraft had only flown 0.5 hours during this flight. Examination of the fuel system revealed a broken wire in the fuel quantity indicating system. According to the maintenance manual for this helicopter, the open circuit caused by the wire breakage will cause a fuel quantity indication of 34 gallons when the tank is empty.
Factual narrative
On June 30, 1999, about 0700 hours Pacific daylight time, a Hiller UH-12ET, N7173F, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in a rice field at Williams, California. The commercial pilot was not injured. The helicopter was being operated by Pacific Valley Aviation of Colusa, California, under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137. A company visual flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area agricultural flight, which originated near the field to be sprayed about 0630.
The pilot stated that the engine abruptly quit while spraying the rice field and the forced landing resulted in the severing of the tail boom. He reported the turbine powered helicopter had been fueled the day before the accident, however, he did not visually confirm it. He had only flown 0.5 hours during this flight.
Subsequent examination of the fuel system revealed a broken wire at the aft liquidometer. According to the UH-12E maintenance manual, an open circuit between pin A of the fuel gauge and pin C of the aft tank liquidometer would cause the gauge to indicate 34 gallons when the tank is empty.
The pilot/operator failed to file a Safety Board Pilot Operator Accident Report, form 6120.1/2.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7173F
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12ET
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2011
- Airframe hours
- 12,083
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 305 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Pacific Valley Aviation
- Registered owner
- James Miller
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- NONE · Colusa, CA
- Destination
- NONE · CA
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 18,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.