ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 43859
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| Date: | Saturday 24 February 2007 |
| Time: | 15:08 |
| Type: |  Hiller UH-12A |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N8180H |
| MSN: | 180 |
| Engine model: | Franklin 6VS-335 SER |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Bethlehem, GA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Bethlehem, GA (PVT) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The commercial pilot attempted a downwind departure at or about maximum gross weight in a very tight landing zone with high obstacles, forcing the pilot to use rotor energy to gain altitude which would have slowed rotor RPM below safe operating limits. With a tailwind the engine had insufficient power for the helicopter to reach transitional lift. Once the pilot determined that he could not regain rotor speed, he would have selected an area in the woods to try and descend. Rotor RPM would have continued to decay and the pilot would have initiated an Auto-Rotation. The pilot closed the throttle as noted by the crushed throttle linkage. The tail-rotor descended into the trees as evidenced by impact marks to the leading edge of the tail-rotor blades. The engine was still developing power to the rotor system as observed in the twisting of the tail-rotor drive shaft aft of the tail-rotor universal joint. The helicopter descended through the trees vertically and nosed down when the main rotor blades exited the helicopter. The metal strip on the main rotor blades contacted the tail boom at the rear universal joint of the tail rotor drive shaft. The helicopter impacted the ground. The transmission and rotor system crushed the flight deck. Examination of the helicopter found no preimpact mechanical failure or malfunctions that would have prevented the helicopter from operating properly.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm, which resulted in an attempted autorotation and in-flight collision with trees. Contributing to the severity of the accident was the pilot exceeding the helicopters takeoff capability.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20070226X00225&key=1
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 16 September 1995 | N8180H | Private | 0 | Bonners Ferry, ID | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 04-Dec-2017 18:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative] |
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