Hiller UH-12B accident near Newnan, Georgia, November 7, 1987
On November 7, 1987 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12B (helicopter), registered N922TE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Newnan, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 1987 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Newnan, Georgia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12B · all UH-12Bs on the register
- Registration
- N922TE · no longer on the register · serial 714
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE TAIL ROTOR 90 DEGREE GEARBOX MOUNTING FLANGE FRACTURED DURING APCH TO LAND, WHILE THE HELICOPTER WAS AT ABOUT 75 FT AGL. THE GEARBOX SUBSEQUENTLY SEPARATED FROM THE HELICOPTER. THE PLT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION. THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ON LDG. METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT THE FLANGE FAILED AS A RESULT OF EXTENSIVE PREEXISTENT FATIGUE CRACKING, AND THAT THE CRACKING WAS THE RESULT OF EXCESSIVE VIBRATION.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,141 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6V-335-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Unlimited Directions,Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: Carrollton GA at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N922TE the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.