- Date
- January 16, 1986, 12:38 local (20:38 UTC)
- Place
- Horton, OR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N40290Hiller-Soloy UH-12E
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860116000729A
- Case key
- 40264
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 fork connecting the rotorcraft's blue blade to the main rotor hub separated after a long term fatigue crack had spread through more than 60% of the fork circumference. The operator failed to carry out the appropriate inspection of the fork unit as delineated in the FAA airworthiness directive due in part to confusion over the wording of the AD coupled with the misperception that the fork required only a visual inspection rather than a dye penetrant check. The misperception of the type of inspection was born out of a belief that the original blade fork with its ten thousand series serial number required only a visual check. The installed blade fork serial number was no longer evident on the part and manufacturer records had been lost thus preventing the operator from verifying the serial number and instituting the necessary inspection. Strong gusty winds existed at the accident site associated with frontal passage at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40290
- Reported as
- Hiller-Soloy UH-12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- HA3081
- Airframe hours
- 2,288
- Engine
- Allison 250-020, 305 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Western Helicopter Services
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- AAIP · December 19, 1985 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- Horton, OR
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,733 total · 3,100 in this make and model · 4,733 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 19 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EUG, 10 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.