Hiller UH-12E N161HA

Summary

On 5 July 1985 at about 14:15 local time, a Hiller UH-12E registered N161HA, operated by Verticare, was involved in an accident near Gonzales, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

5 July 1985 at 14:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Gonzales, California, United States

Coordinates

36.5404, -121.3904

Aircraft

Hiller UH-12E

Registration

N161HA

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Verticare

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gonzales → Salinas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX85LA305

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE CRUISING DURING AN AG FLIGHT THE ACFT'S ENG BEGAN LOSING PWR. AT THE TIME THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 50 FT AGL & WAS TRAVELLING AT 50 MPH. THE PLT MADE A FORCED LDG ONTO A NEARBY PLOWED FLD. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE RT SKID DUG INTO A FURROW & THE ACFT ROLLED OVER. EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT AN AIR LEAK HAD DEVELOPED AT THE FUEL FEED LINE INLET TO THE ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP. THE CONNECTOR INLET BUSHING BEING USED WAS NOT FOUND TO BE OF 'ACFT QUALITY,' & ITS CONDITION WAS OBSERVED TO BE RUSTED, PUTTED & ROUGH. THE INDIVIDUAL(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR ORIGINALLY PLACING THE UNAUTHORIZED PART IN SERVICE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.