Hiller UH-12E N62421

Summary

On 7 February 1986 at about 22:20 local time, a Hiller UH-12E registered N62421, operated by Alpine Helicopter Service, Inc, was involved in an accident near Lodi, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

7 February 1986 at 22:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Lodi, California, United States

Coordinates

38.1895, -121.2499

Aircraft

Hiller UH-12E

Registration

N62421

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Alpine Helicopter Service, 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

LAX86LA113

Nobody was injured.

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

WHILE ON AN AERIAL AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING FLIGHT THE ACFT ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER. THE PLT EXECUTED AN IMMEDIATE AUTOROTATION LANDING. UPON GROUND CONTACT, THE ACFT SKID FOR ABOUT 8 FT UNTIL THE FRONT SKID CONTACTED THE GROUND FURROW AND NOSED OVER CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TO CONTACT THE GROUND AND TAIL BOOM ASSEMBLY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD ABOUT 10 - 12 GALLONS ABOARD FOR THE 5 MINUTE FLIGHT AND THAT HE BELIEVED THE FUEL PUMP BYPASS VALVE MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE FUEL TO BE 'DUMPED OVERBOARD' VIA THE SYSTEM DRAIN VALVE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ACFT CONTAINED LESS THAN 1/2 PT OF FUEL. THE ENGINE WAS FUNCTIONALLY TESTED AND IT OPERATED NORMALLY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.