Hiller UH-12B N5072R
6 February 2013 · Merritt Island, Florida, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 6 February 2013 at about 23:10 local time, a Hiller UH-12B registered N5072R, operated by Florida Biplane, was involved in an accident near Merritt Island, Florida, United States. 3 people were 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 23:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Merritt Island, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Merritt Island Airport (COI)
- Coordinates
- 28.3414, -80.6853
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12B
- Registration
- N5072R
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Florida Biplane
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Merritt Island → Merritt Island
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA13LA127
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from an overstress failure of a fitting on the fuel supply line and led to an autorotation and hard landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that, during the initial climb, when the helicopter was about 75 feet above ground level, he heard a "pop" noise, and the engine then lost total power. The pilot performed an autorotation, and the helicopter subsequently landed hard on a taxiway. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that the fuel supply line from the gascolator to the mechanical fuel pump was not attached and that the fuel supply line and fitting were broken where they attached to the gascolator. Examination determined that the fuel fitting separated due to overstress. It is likely that, when the fuel supply line fitting broke off of the gascolator, it resulted in a loss of fuel supply to the engine, subsequent fuel starvation, and a total loss of engine power.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hiller UH-12B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Sep 2012 | Hiller UH-12B | Rio Vista, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jun 2012 | Hiller UH-12B | Pasco, Washington, United States | Larsen Helicopter Operations | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jan 2007 | Hiller UH-12B | Panama City, Panama | Jet Lease Corporation | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Mar 2005 | Hiller UH-12B | Thermal, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Feb 2004 | Hiller UH-12B | Bradenton, Florida, United States | Danny Bals | No injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 2001 | Hiller UH-12B | Whitesburg, Georgia, United States | Michael T. Holder | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Apr 2013 | Cessna A185F | Palatka, Florida, United States | Lindsay A. Weaver | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2013 | Cessna 340A | Boynton Beach, Florida, United States | Paul S. Soule Enterprises, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Jul 2013 | Cessna 172S | New Smyrna Beach, Florida, United States | Phoenix East Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 25 May 2013 | Boswell John J AIR CAM 912S | West Palm Beach, Florida, United States | John Workman | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Feb 2013 | Cessna T337C | New Smyrna Beach, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 Jun 2013 | Piper PA-46-500TP | West Palm Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |