- Date
- August 11, 2025, 08:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Fobes Hill, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N703WAHiller UH-12E
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Abrupt maneuver
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20250811010179A
- Case key
- 200757
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’s abrupt maneuver to avoid a powerline during an aerial application flight, which resulted in the helicopter’s impact with terrain.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was conducting an aerial application flight in a field that was crossed by three sets of powerlines. The pilot had previously flown the helicopter under the powerlines, but as the helicopter once again approached them, the pilot perceived they were too low to fly under. The pilot began a hard turn to the right to avoid the wires, and the helicopter “lost lift due to excessive turn and bank.” As a result, the spray boom and main rotor contacted the ground, and the helicopter subsequently rolled over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and tail boom. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N703WA
- Reported as
- Hiller UH-12E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2276
- Built
- 1963
- Airframe hours
- 3,784
- Engine
- Rolls-Royce C20B, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Anthony Ghidossi Chemical LLC, doing business as Anthony Ghidossi Chemical
- Registered owner
- Anthony Ghidossi Chemical LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 14, 2025
- Airport
- S43 · Harvey Fld
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total · 3,500 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 12 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.08 inHg
- Observed at
- KPAE, 6 nm away
- METAR
- KPAE 111453Z 34007KT 10SM CLR 20/15 A3008 RMK AO2 SLP181 T02000150 52005
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 6, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 12.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.