Hiller UH-12ET N7173F

Summary

On 30 June 1999 at about 14:00 local time, a Hiller UH-12ET registered N7173F, operated by Pacific Valley Aviation, was involved in an accident near Williams, California, 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

30 June 1999 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Williams, California, United States

Coordinates

39.2701, -122.0505

Aircraft

Hiller UH-12ET

Registration

N7173F

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Pacific Valley Aviation

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Colusa → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX99LA237

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate preflight planning and verification that fuel was available for the intended flight. A factor was the fuel quantity false indication.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While spraying a rice field the engine suddenly quit. The pilot force landed in the field severing the tail boom. The pilot reported the turbine powered helicopter had been fueled the day before the accident, however, he did not visually confirm it. The aircraft had only flown 0.5 hours during this flight. Examination of the fuel system revealed a broken wire in the fuel quantity indicating system. According to the maintenance manual for this helicopter, the open circuit caused by the wire breakage will cause a fuel quantity indication of 34 gallons when the tank is empty.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.