Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Pangborn Memorial Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wenatchee, Washington 98802
Saturday, May 25, 2013 17:45 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On May 25, 2013, about 1745 Pacific daylight time, a Hiller UH-12E, N99090, landed hard after the main rotor head assembly separated from the helicopter at Pangborn Memorial Airport (EAT), Wenatchee, Washington. The commercial pilot was not injured, and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The helicopter sustained substantial damage throughout. The helicopter was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91; no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated from the EAT, about 1730 hours.
The pilot reported that after takeoff, about three miles away from the airport, he heard a loud noise above and behind him. He elected to return to the airport, during which, he heard the noise a second time. Upon arriving in the vicinity of the airport, the helicopter descended to a hover about four feet above the ground. Suddenly, the helicopter fell to the ground and the pilot observed the main rotor head and rotor blades spinning about 400-500 feet in the air above him. The blades descended to the ground and came to rest about 300 feet from the helicopter.
The airplane has been removed from the scene for further examination.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/25/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1745 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Wenatchee |
| Event State | WASHINGTON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 98802 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 472332N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1201213W |
| Event Location Airport | Pangborn Memorial Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | EAT |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1249 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1755 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EAT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1249 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.93 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KEAT 252355Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM FEW085 SCT110 18/02 |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2013 6:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N99090 |
| NTSB Number | WPR13LA243 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| 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 | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1395 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HOLMES JEFF |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | EVANSVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | WY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 82636 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | HOLMES JEFF |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | EVANSVILLE |
| Operator State | WY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 82636 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | EAT |
| Departure City | Wenatchee |
| Departure State | WA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1742 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | EAT |
| Destination City | Wenatchee |
| Destination State | WA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2013 6:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |