Hiller UH 12E accident near Wasco, CA
On May 27, 2015, a Hiller UH 12E (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Wasco, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 27, 2015
- Place
- Wasco, CA
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH 12E · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 35.609°N, 119.436°W
- NTSB ID
- 20150527X24117
Official records · WPR15LA168
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn May 27, 2015 about 0815 Pacific daylight time, a Hiller UH-12E, N138HA, impacted an onion field during agricultural application operations near Wasco, California. The pilot was fatally injured, and the helicopter was destroyed. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Slikker Flying Service, Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an agricultural flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from a refueling truck about 0813. The truck operator reported that the pilot had just finished spraying a small field. The helicopter was filled with fuel and about 30-40 gallons of water to clean out the spray system. The pilot took off and departed the immediate area about 15 ft above the field. The truck operator cleaned the fuel/spray truck and was getting into the truck when he observed a plume of black smoke about ¼ mile away over a field crest. He drove toward the fire and observed the helicopter engulfed in flames. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for rotorcraft-helicopter and instrument helicopter, and a Federal Aviation Administration second-class medical certificate dated February 18, 2015, with no limitations. The pilot's logbook was not recovered. During the pilot's last medical examination, he reported 1,136.2 total hours of flight experience, 277 of which were accrued in the previous 6 months. The pilot was hired by the operator in February 2014. The pilot initially survived the accident but succ
Probable cause
An in-flight impact with terrain for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.
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Browse: California · Hiller aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
