Hiller UH-12E N945HA
15 August 2008 · Cokato, Minnesota, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 15 August 2008 at about 12:00 local time, a Hiller UH-12E registered N945HA was involved in an accident near Cokato, Minnesota, 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 12:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Cokato, Minnesota, United States
- Coordinates
- 45.0744, -94.1872
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12E
- Registration
- N945HA
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Cokato → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI08CA252
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot did not visually identify and maintain clearance with the power lines, and the pilot's inability to maintain control of the helicopter once it contacted the power lines. Factors associated with the accident were the low altitude operations being conducted and the power lines.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported he made three passes over the fields that he was going to spray. He stated he noticed a power line pole that had a transformer cover on it and what appeared to be a wire covering running up the pole. This led the pilot to believe that the power lines in the area were buried. The pilot then landed and loaded the chemicals. He stated that after taking off with the load, he flew one more pass to look for power lines and still did not see any. He stated that during the first swath run, the helicopter contacted power lines. The helicopter initially pitched nose up and to the right. The pilot stated he pushed the nose down and to the left, but the power lines wrapped around the control tubes and tail rotor. The helicopter then entered a descending spin. The pilot stated he pulled back to flatten the descent just prior to the helicopter contacting the ground.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hiller UH-12E accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Apr 2008 | Hiller UH-12E | La Porte, Texas, United States | Paul Legris | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 Oct 2008 | Hiller UH-12E | Powder River, Wyoming, United States | Wyoming Air Corp | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Apr 2008 | Hiller UH-12E | Quinton, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Sep 2008 | Hiller UH-12E | Naruna, Virginia, United States | Summit Helicopters Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jun 2009 | Hiller UH-12E | Stringtown, Oklahoma, United States | Texas Air Cargo, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 24 Nov 2007 | Hiller UH-12E | Yuma, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct 2008 | Piper PA-28-161 | Crookston, Minnesota, United States | UND Aerospace Foundation | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 2008 | Cessna 180 | Eveleth, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jun 2008 | Piper PA-22-150 | Wadena, Minnesota, United States | Robert Wild | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2008 | Kolb MARK II | Chisholm, Minnesota, United States | Ronald J. Cappo | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 2008 | Raytheon Corporate Jets BAE 125-800A | Owatonna, Minnesota, United States | East Coast Jets Inc., | Fatal | 8 |
| 11 Aug 2008 | Piper PA-25-235 | Cosmos, Minnesota, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |