Pilot Debrief

HILLER UH-12A near Florence, AL — 2013-06-29

Final reportERA13LA308
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Date
2013-06-29
Location
Florence, AL, USA
Aircraft
HILLER UH-12A
Registration
N6331D
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Hover

Probable cause

The student pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter while landing, which resulted in a tail rotor ground strike and collision with terrain.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot was attempting to land the helicopter on a trailer in order to transport it to another location. A witness reported that, while the helicopter was hovering above the trailer, it started to drift backwards. Subsequently, the nose of the helicopter rose, the tail struck the ground, the helicopter rolled to the right, the main rotor blades struck the ground, and the helicopter came to rest on the right side of the fuselage, which resulted in substantial damage. A postaccident examination of the helicopter did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the landing attempt when drifting backward began.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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