Hiller UH12-E accident near Huger, South Carolina, April 3, 1996
On April 3, 1996 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Hiller UH12-E (helicopter), registered N14MQ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Huger, South Carolina. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The blocked fuel vent line that resulted in engine stoppage. A factor was tall trees that intervened the helicopter's flight path.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 1996 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Huger, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH12-E · all UH12-Es on the register
- Registration
- N14MQ · registry record · serial 1474
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During helicopter operations using a long line to spray jellied fuel to conduct a controlled burn of trees, the engine quit. At the time, the helicopter was just above the tree tops about 75 feet above the ground. An autorotation was established toward the nearest clearing. The helicopter struck trees before reaching the clearing, resulting in a hard landing on the clearing's edge. The pilot said that the engine's quitting was consistent with fuel exhaustion, however, he had been flying 40 minutes with the 1.5 hour supply that was in the helicopter at the initial departure. Subsequently, the fuel tank vent was found to be clogged by dirt from an insect nest and insect parts.
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: 14,406 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 14,100 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,158 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 1995; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-540-C2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Haddock Flying Service, INC
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from CHS, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL96LA076.