- Date
- October 26, 1988, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Davenport, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N57FDHiller UH-12C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881026048299A
- Case key
- 34716
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 demonstrating an autorotation touchdown, a tailboom strike was experienced. Damage was incurred to the tailboom, the tail rotor drive shaft, and one main rotor blade. The CFI said everthing felt normal during touchdown and believed the soft terrain conditions contributed to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N57FD
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 817
- Airframe hours
- 5,577
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540, 305 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Veteran'S Aviation Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Veterans Aviation Servic Inc
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 22, 1988 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- DVN · Davenport, IA
- Airport
- DVK · Davenport, runway 21, 4,500 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,230 total · 16 in this make and model · 1,100 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 1 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °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.