Hiller UH-12B N5303V
30 August 1997 · Slatington, Pennsylvania, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 30 August 1997 at about 14:20 local time, a Hiller UH-12B registered N5303V was involved in an accident near Slatington, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Slatington, Pennsylvania, United States
- Nearest airport
- Slatington Airport (69N)
- Coordinates
- 40.7495, -75.6097
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12B
- Registration
- N5303V
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC97LA174
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter was for sale, but was not airworthy, and had not been flown for 6 months. The owner had shown the helicopter to the pilot a week prior to the accident. The owner and the pilot performed a ground run, but the owner would not allow the helicopter to be flown. A week later the pilot flew the helicopter without the owner's permission, and without the owner present. Witnesses reported that the helicopter did not appear to be stable at any time in the repeated attempts at takeoff. On the third attempted lift off, the helicopter became airborne, moved forward, and climbed to an altitude of approximately 5 to 10 feet above the ground. It then moved aft and the tailboom impacted the ground. The helicopter then rolled right, and the main rotor blades struck the ground. During a period of 18 months, repeated attempts to have the pilot provide a statement, or complete and return the required National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report form 6120.1/2, were unsuccessful.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hiller UH-12B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 May 1994 | Hiller UH-12B | Crystal Beach, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Mar 2000 | Hiller UH-12B | Sanford, Florida, United States | Robert Kivlen | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 2001 | Hiller UH-12B | Whitesburg, Georgia, United States | Michael T. Holder | No injuries | - |
| 15 Oct 1992 | Hiller UH-12B | Anahuac, Texas, United States | Chambers County | Unknown | - |
| 27 Jul 1991 | Hiller UH-12B | Westfield, Massachusetts, United States | James T. Kilbridge | No injuries | - |
| 26 Apr 1990 | Hiller UH-12B | Sanford, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jan 1997 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Thorndale, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jan 1997 | Cessna 650 | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Feb 1997 | Berry VANS RV-4 | York, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Mar 1997 | Aerospatiale AS-355F | Washington, Pennsylvania, United States | Corporate Jets, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 Mar 1997 | Lowe SUPER KOALA | Perry Township, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Apr 1997 | Piper PA-28-161 | Butler, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |