Hiller UH 12E N1349A

Summary

On 20 September 2018 at about 12:30 local time, a Hiller UH 12E registered N1349A, operated by Sky Copters Inc., was involved in an accident near Frankfort, Kansas, 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.

Date

20 September 2018 at 12:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Frankfort, Kansas, United States

Coordinates

39.7056, -96.4169

Aircraft

Hiller UH 12E

Registration

N1349A

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1960

Engines

1

Operator

Sky Copters Inc.

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

External Load

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Frankfort → Frankfort

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA18CA573

Nobody was injured.

The ground crewmember's improper grabbing of the hovering helicopter's skid during an external load hook-up, which resulted in the helicopter descending and the main rotors striking ground equipment.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot in the skid-equipped helicopter reported that he established a hover over a seeding bucket so that the ground crew could attach the bucket to the helicopter's cargo hook. One of the ground crewmembers grabbed the skid while trying to connect the bucket, and subsequently, the helicopter descended, which resulted in the main rotor blades striking ground equipment. The helicopter subsequently came to rest upright on top of a grass bale in front of the equipment. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor and tail rotor drive systems. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.