Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 accident near Valparaiso, IN
On August 19, 2000, a Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Valparaiso, IN. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 19, 2000
- Place
- Valparaiso, IN
- Aircraft
- Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 41.469°N, 87.049°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X21660
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 19, 2000, at 1324 central daylight time, a Fairchild Hiller FH-1100, N250AD, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed during an in-flight failure of the main rotor mast and subsequent collision with the terrain near Valparaiso, Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight departed the Porter County Municipal Airport (VPZ), Valparaiso, Indiana, at 1320 for the local flight. A witness to the accident reported, "I looked up and watched the helicopter flip over, break apart and crash. The helicopter's [main] rotor separated from the fuselage, and the tail rotor left [with] part of the fuselage." Another witness reported, "I looked up and heard a loud 'pop' and as helicopter was falling straight down in pieces... ." Copies of the written witness statements are appended to this factual report. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for helicopter, single engine land airplanes, multi-engine land airplanes, and instrument airplane operations. The pilot's last medical examination was conducted on November 10, 1998, and he was issued a second-class medical certificate with the limitation, "Must wear corrective lenses for near and distant vision." According to the pilot's flight logbooks, he had a total flight time of 1,584.9 hours, of which 715.2 hours were in helicopters, 705.4 hours were in single engine airplanes, and 159.2
Probable cause
The in-flight fracture of the main rotor mast and the separation of the main rotor. Factors to the accident were the corroded main rotor mast that resulted in fatigue.
More accidents in IN
- Pilatus PC-12, May 25, 2011
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-60, Sep 11, 1992
- Cessna 310N, Nov 20, 1984
- Cessna T303, Nov 14, 2006
- Cessna U206G, Apr 21, 2006
Browse: Indiana
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
