- Date
- October 1, 1983, 17:00 local (Oct 2, 1983, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tenino, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N401HAHiller UH12-E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831001054289A
- Case key
- 39841
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
The plt visually checked the fuel tanks prior to takeoff & thought he had seen fuel in the tanks. The fuel gauges were inoperative & he was using timing as a method to determine the remaining fuel. Aprx 5 min after takeoff, the eng lost power as he was lining up for a swath run over timber. He chose to use his autorotation RPM to reach a clearing. During a run-on landing, the tail boom of the helicopter hit upsloping terrain & failed. The acft then rolled onto its side. The plt stated that he had exhausted his fuel supply.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N401HA
- Reported as
- Hiller UH12-E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4001
- Airframe hours
- 2,500
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 305 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Quick Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1983 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- Tenino, WA
- Destination
- Tenino, WA
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 3,550 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 3,430 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 55 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 18,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TDO, 25 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.