Bell UH-1H accident near Zuni, New Mexico, March 25, 2001
On March 25, 2001 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Bell UH-1H (helicopter), registered N56CF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Zuni, New Mexico. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a hard landing due to the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during autorotation/flare. A factor was the total loss of engine power due to mechanical failure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2001 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Zuni, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell UH-1H · all UH-1Hs on the register
- Registration
- N56CF · registry record · serial 64-13880
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the pilot noticed an illuminated master caution light and high engine oil temperature. A few moments later, he received a report from a pilot in a second helicopter telling him that his engine was on fire. The pilot then noticed an engine chip light. He shut down the engine and "initiated an autorotation." The engine seized at approximately 200 feet above ground level (AGL) and the helicopter hit the ground hard. The skids grabbed in the soft dirt and collapsed. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the skids, bottom of fuselage and fire damage to the engine. The fire extinguished prior to landing. An examination of the engine at a helicopter repair station in Redding, California, identified that the "engine's number three and four bearing pack seal had failed." The failure resulted in "high engine oil temperature, which led to the engine fire and subsequent failure of the engine."
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; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 173 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 13,557 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 22, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,297 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 20, 2001; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,500 lb
- Seats: 13
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T53-13 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AEG Albuquerque NM at 7:30 pm
- Destination: INW Winslow AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KGUP, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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 DEN01LA077.