Hiller UH-12C N49983

Summary

On 5 October 1997 at about 16:30 local time, a Hiller UH-12C registered N49983 was involved in an accident near Bennington, Vermont, United States. 2 people were 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

5 October 1997 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Bennington, Vermont, United States

Nearest airport

William H. Morse State (5B5)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Hiller UH-12C

Registration

N49983

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC98LA006

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the cyclic control due to an improper modification by the pilot/owner.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The certificated flight instructor (CFI)/owner had been demonstrating how to hover a helicopter to a student pilot. When the student pilot attempted to hover the helicopter, it began to roll right. The CFI then took hold of his controls, and the top of his cyclic stick detached. The helicopter then rolled right and collided with the ground. Examination revealed that the cyclic stick had been replaced with a military style cyclic. The owner reported that the cyclic had been cut down by removing a section of the cyclic, and the cyclic detached at the repaired joint. A review of the maintenance records did not reveal who or when the modification was performed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.