Hiller UH-12E N5374V

Summary

On 28 October 1999 at about 16:15 local time, a Hiller UH-12E registered N5374V was involved in an accident near Castroville, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 October 1999 at 16:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Castroville, California, United States

Coordinates

36.7604, -121.7507

Aircraft

Hiller UH-12E

Registration

N5374V

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX00LA027

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and diverted attention.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot had been spraying a field and altered his course to move away from telephone repair personnel who were working on a pole located near the field he intended to spray. While flying between 25 and 30 feet above the ground, the pilot diverted his attention toward the global positioning satellite receiver in which he intended to mark his new spray position. While proceeding over the field he looked up and observed a power line directly in front of his helicopter. With insufficient time to turn, the helicopter collided with the power line. Thereafter, the pilot lost control and the helicopter impacted the underlying field.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.