Hiller UH-12E accident near Cottondale, Florida, July 11, 1996
On July 11, 1996 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12E (helicopter), registered N102HT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cottondale, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
failure of the main rotor drive torsional coupling and inner gimbal ring, which resulted in jamming of the flight controls during an attempted autorotation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 1996 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cottondale, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12E · all UH-12Es on the register
- Registration
- N102HT · no longer on the register · serial 5218
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Approximately two minutes into the climbout, the pilots felt a vibration in the airframe followed by a loud bang. The pilots entered an autorotation and selected a field for a forced landing. The pilots reported that, subsequently, as they were attempting to control the helicopter, the flight controls would not respond to inputs. Control of the helicopter was lost, and it impacted the ground inverted. Examination of the helicopter disclosed that the main drive clutch and engine gimble ring with the torsional coupling had failed. Debris from the failed components was not recovered for examination. A review of the maintenance logs showed that the drive coupling assembly had 511 hours of total service since new. Wreckage examination also disclosed that the entire transmission assembly had rotated from its normally installed position, and that the flight control rods were displaced from their normal position.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,567 hours in all; 77 in this make and model; 166 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 5,493 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 515 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 5, 1996; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-540-C2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Jackson Helprt FL at 10:42 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from DHN, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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.