Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Granby, Colorado 80446
Monday, June 11, 1984 7:00 MDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE HELICOPTER PLT WAS ON A RECONNAISSANCE FLT TO SURVEY A HILLTOP LANDING SITE IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. WHEN HE ARRIVED, HE MADE A HIGH RECONNAISSANCE PASS, THEN BEGAN A LOW RECONNAISSANCE APCH. HE ESTIMATED THE WIND WAS FROM 210 DEG AT 10 TO 15 KTS WITH LIGHT TURBULENCE. HIS APCH WAS MADE ON A HEADING OF 200 DEG. HE BEGAN HIS APCH AT APRX 40 KTS & WITH A DESCENT RATE OF 200 FT/MIN. WHEN THE HELICOPTER WAS ABOUT 150 FT FROM THE HILLTOP & APRX 50 FT ABOVE IT, THE AIRSPEED DROPPED TO ZERO & THE RATE OF DESCENT INCREASED. THE PLT APPLIED FULL POWER & TURNED DOWN A VALLEY TO THE RIGHT, BUT COULD NOT STOP THE DESCENT. THE HELICOPTER THEN HIT A TREE, TOUCHED DOWN ON SLOPING TERRAIN & ROLLED OVER. THE ELEVATION & DENSITY ALT WERE ABOUT 9200 & 10,040 FT, RESPECTIVELY. THE HELICOPTER'S HOVER CEILING OUT OF GROUND EFFECT WAS ABOUT 8500 FT; IN GROUND EFFECT, THE HOVER CEILING WAS APRX 11,800 FT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/11/1984
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 700
Event Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Event City GRANBY
Event State COLORADO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 80446
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 630
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 14000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 40
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 3
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 10043
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 768
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 24473
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N504HA
NTSB Number DEN84LA177
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name HILLER
Aircraft Model UH-12E
Aircraft Series Identifier UH-12E
Aircraft Serial Number
Certified Max Gross Weight 2800
Aircraft Category Helicopter
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 3
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection May 23 1984 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 60
Airframe Hours 1700
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name HOFFMAN PILOT CENTER, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address SUITE 7
Aircraft Owner City BROOMFIELD
Aircraft Owner State CO
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation External Load
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Other Work Use
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City GRANBY
Departure State CO
Departure Country
Departure Time 845
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --