Hiller FH-1100 N4034K

Summary

On 26 April 1983 at about 16:00 local time, a Hiller FH-1100 registered N4034K was involved in an accident near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

26 April 1983 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

39.8307, -77.2303

Aircraft

Hiller FH-1100

Registration

N4034K

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gettysburg → York

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC83FA102

2 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT TOOK OFF ON A FLT TO YORK, PA TO REFUEL THE HELICOPTER & TO DEMONSTRATE IT TO A PROSPECTIVE BUYER WHILE EN ROUTE. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE. TWO OF 4 WITNESSES HEARD A CHANGE IN THE SOUND OF THE HELICOPTER, 2 WITNESSES SAW THE HELICOPTER SWINGING FROM SIDE TO SIDE PRIOR TO CRASHING, AND 2 OR THE WITNESSES SAW THE MAIN ROTOR ASSEMBLY SEPARATE FROM THE MAIN ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. ONE WITNESS, WHO SAW THE HELICOPTER FLYING TOWARD HIS POSITION, REPORTED THAT IT STARTED TO 'SWOOP' DOWN, THEN TURNED UPWARD, AND THEN THE MAIN ROTOR ASSEMBLY & 2 OTHER PIECES SEPARATED. THE HELICOPTER THEN TURNED OVER & CRASHED. THE 1ST PERSON TO ARRIVE AT THE CRASH SITE SAID THE PLT DID NOT HAVE A SEAT BELT ON. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE MAIN ROTOR MAST HAD SEPARATED ADJACENT TO THE MAIN ROTOR SYS STATIC STOPS. ALL FUSELAGE & FLT CONTROL SEPARATIONS WERE EXAMINED & FOUND TYPICAL OF OVERLOAD FAILURES. THE TAIL CONE HAD BEEN SEVERED BY THE MAIN ROTOR.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.