Hiller UH12-ET N6006K

Summary

On 25 March 2025 at about 12:49 local time, a Hiller UH12-ET registered N6006K, operated by Summit Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near Ruston, Louisiana, 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

25 March 2025 at 12:49

Classification

Accident

Location

Ruston, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

32.6576, -92.6231

Aircraft

Hiller UH12-ET

Registration

N6006K

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1983

Engines

1

Operator

Summit Helicopters, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN25LA143

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper fuel planning and fuel management, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and subsequent impact with terrain during an autorotation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on an aerial application flight in the helicopter to continue spraying a field with herbicide. The pilot stated that he became preoccupied with touching up areas, which took longer than expected. While flying across the field to begin the next spray pass, the engine experienced a total loss of power, and he immediately knew that it was due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot performed an autorotation and landed hard, which resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor blades and the tailboom. The pilot stated that after the landing, he checked the helicopter fuel tank, and it was empty. There were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.