Hiller UH-12E accident near Grand Junction, Colorado, June 25, 2010
On June 25, 2010, a Hiller UH-12E (helicopter), registered N9754C, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Grand Junction, Colorado (Lands End Heliport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2010
- Place
- Grand Junction, Colorado · Lands End Heliport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12E · all UH-12Es on the register
- Registration
- N9754C · registry record · serial 2149
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter had recently undergone an annual inspection and about a month thereafter the pilot planned to take it for a test flight. After completing an engine run-up, he noted that the helicopter appeared to be operating well. The pilot elected to perform a hover-taxi to a nearby helipad, which consisted of a flight path that would overfly a storage container. As he flew past the container, the helicopter’s engine experienced a total loss of power and he landed in a bark pile. During a postaccident visual examination by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors, they could not determine any problems with the helicopter’s engine. The pilot reported that following the helicopter being recovered he found a plug covering the fuel tank's vent line. The pilot opined that the plug resulted in the loss of power.
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
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during maneuvering
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 484 hours in all; 296 in this make and model
- Last flight review: January 8, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,769 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 19, 2010
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Lands End Transport INC
The flight
- Departed from: 2CO9 Grand Junction CO
- Destination: 2CO9 Grand Junction CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 249° at 14 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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.