Hiller UH-12B N5311V
12 March 2005 · Thermal, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 12 March 2005 at about 20:50 local time, a Hiller UH-12B registered N5311V was involved in an accident near Thermal, California, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 20:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Thermal, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Jacqueline Cochran Regional (TRM)
- Coordinates
- 33.6267, -116.1594
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12B
- Registration
- N5311V
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Bermuda Dunes → Thermal
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX05LA112
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning and failure to refuel the helicopter, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter landed hard and the main rotor blades severed the tail boom following a loss of engine power and an autorotation to the runway surface. The helicopter had just undergone an annual inspection. The pilot said the fuel gauge was reading less than 1/2 full, and that a full fuel tank, approximately 25 gallons, provides about 2 hours of flight. The pilot was supposed to fly the helicopter for a post maintenance flight check to the end of the runway and then return. The pilot continued to fly the helicopter for about 1 hour until the power loss occurred. Post accident examination by the aviation maintenance technician did not reveal any fuel in the fuel tanks. Fixed base operator personnel that assisted following the accident did not see any fuel spill on the ground surrounding the helicopter. The pilot reported refueling the helicopter about 2 1/2 months prior at his local airport. There were no fueling records on file to indicate that the helicopter had been refueled. Post accident examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any mechanical anomalies or breeches in the fuel system.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hiller UH-12B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Feb 2004 | Hiller UH-12B | Bradenton, Florida, United States | Danny Bals | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jan 2007 | Hiller UH-12B | Panama City, Panama | Jet Lease Corporation | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 2001 | Hiller UH-12B | Whitesburg, Georgia, United States | Michael T. Holder | No injuries | - |
| 17 Mar 2000 | Hiller UH-12B | Sanford, Florida, United States | Robert Kivlen | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Sep 2012 | Hiller UH-12B | Rio Vista, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jun 2012 | Hiller UH-12B | Pasco, Washington, United States | Larsen Helicopter Operations | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 May 2005 | Robinson R44 | Lucerne Valley, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 May 2005 | S A Centrair PEGASE 101D | Williams, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 2005 | Cessna 172N | Stockton, California, United States | Luis Rivara | No injuries | - |
| 27 Dec 2005 | Socata TBM 700 | Lancaster, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Dec 2005 | Learjet 35A | Truckee, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 8 Sep 2005 | Robinson R22 | Santa Clarita, California, United States | Orbic Helicopters | No injuries | - |