Hiller UH-12E N4027Z
13 February 1998 · Chico, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 13 February 1998 at about 19:30 local time, a Hiller UH-12E registered N4027Z was involved in an accident near Chico, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. 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 19:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Chico, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.7407, -121.8292
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12E
- Registration
- N4027Z
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX98LA089
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
Fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's failure to ensure that an adequate fuel supply was onboard. A contributing factor was related to the fuel quantity gage's erroneous indication of fuel.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During an aerial application flight over an orchard at 40 feet above ground level, the pilot experienced a total loss of engine power. Unable to enter an autorotation due to the low altitude, the pilot landed hard in an open field, and the helicopter was substantially damaged. An examination of the helicopter revealed it was out of fuel. According to the pilot, prior to the mishap the fuel quantity gage had indicated 12 gallons remained in the tank, and evidently the fuel float had become stuck in the tank. The FAA coordinator reported that the conditions which may have produced the discrepancy could not be duplicated during the postimpact testing. However, during the examination when the fuel quantity sender arm was manipulated the float could be induced to hang up vertically. Then, when lowered to the bottom of the tank, the fuel quantity would read 12 gallons. All other system circuitry and component tests were negative. No specific mechanical defect was established.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hiller UH-12E accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jun 1998 | Hiller UH-12E | Park Rapids, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jul 1998 | Hiller UH-12E | Eltopia, Washington, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Jun 1998 | Hiller UH-12E | Delaplaine, Arkansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Dec 1998 | Hiller UH-12E | Wenatchee, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Aug 1998 | Hiller UH-12E | Shelton, Nebraska, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Nov 1998 | Hiller UH-12E | Marshall, Washington, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 1998 | Cessna 152 | Avalon, California, United States | Orange County Flight Center | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Oct 1998 | Grumman TS-2A | Banning, California, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Aug 1998 | North American NAVION | Salinas, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 21 Aug 1998 | Bell 206B | Salinas, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 1998 | Robinson R22B | Ramona, California, United States | Civic Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 1998 | Aerospatiale SA316B | Porterville, California, United States | U.s. Dept. of the Interior | No injuries | - |