- Date
- May 20, 1993, 16:18 local (20:18 UTC)
- Place
- Sarasota, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N46937Hiller UH-12C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930520014619A
- Case key
- 33271
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-in-command's improper application of the flight controls during an autorotative landing, resulting in an in-flight collision with wires and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the improper inspection of the engine fuel system (carburetor) by maintenance personnel, resulting in a contaminated carburetor and a partial loss of engine power while in cruise flight.
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 commercial pilot was in cruise flight at about 400 feet AGL when he observed a sudden drop in engine RPM followed by an increase in RPM. The pilot initiated a forced landing by entering an autorotation. During the deceleration the helicopter collided with power lines and crashed. Review of the helicopter logbooks revealed the carburetor float assembly had not been changed, and numerous service bulletin procedures pertaining to the ma 4-5 carburetor had not been performed. Disassembly inspection of the carburetor revealed the carburetor was contaminated. Sand was present in the carburetor bowl, the fuel inlet assembly was dirty and the pump plunger assembly was rusty.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46937
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 862
- Airframe hours
- 4,308
- Engine
- Franklin 6V335, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jocher, Arthur H.
- Registered owner
- Jocher, Arthur H.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 10, 1993 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- NONE
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,068 total · 158 in this make and model · 1,099 as pilot in command · 61 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 9 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SRQ, 2 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.