- Date
- July 4, 1990, 07:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Walla Walla, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N62431Hiller UH-12D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900704025329A
- Case key
- 41229
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
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
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.
Loss of engine power
Reason for occurrence undeterminedCause
Forced landing
Autorotation - performed
In flight collision with terrain/water
Terrain condition - crop
Analysis
The helicopter was substantially damaged during a forced landing, when the skids caught in pea vines of the crop the pilot was spraying. He stated that the engine sustained a sudden power loss. During a post-accident check, the engine started normally and ran to 3200 RPM.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N62431
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 956
- Airframe hours
- 9,084
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1C, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Blue Mountain Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 10, 1990 · 44 hours before
- Departed
- ALW · Walla Walla, WA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 5,060 total · 400 in this make and model · 250 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.