Hiller UH-12E N3030H

Summary

On 23 May 2005 at about 17:30 local time, a Hiller UH-12E registered N3030H, operated by Whites Flying Service, was involved in an accident near Estacada, Oregon, 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.

Date

23 May 2005 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Estacada, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

45.2894, -122.4231

Aircraft

Hiller UH-12E

Registration

N3030H

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Whites Flying Service

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Estacada → Estacada

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA05CA104

1 person had minor injuries.

The failure of the pilot to maintain landing skid clearance during hover taxi, which resulted in a dynamic rollover. A factor was the gusty wind condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter was parked on a trailer heading into the wind about half an hour prior to its repositioning to a mixing truck. As the pilot lifted the helicopter off the trailer he noticed the wind had switched about 40 to 50 degrees to the left, gusting from 10 to 20 knots. The helicopter subsequently weathervaned to the left, but before the pilot could correct for the left yaw its forward skid became caught under the trailer's left lip, resulting in a dynamic rollover of the helicopter onto its left side. The pilot did not report any anomalies with the helicopter that would have contributed to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.