Hiller UH-12E accident near Conchas, New Mexico, May 7, 2001
On May 7, 2001 at about 3:35 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12E (helicopter), registered N40296, was substantially damaged in an accident near Conchas, New Mexico. It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 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 pilot's misjudgment of the flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing factors were weather conditions conducive to carburetor icing, the pilot's delay in applying carburetor heat, and his inattention to the carburetor air temperature gauge.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 2001 · about 3:35 pm local time
- Place
- Conchas, New Mexico · 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
- N40296 · registry record · serial 5149
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting low level wildlife surveillance. He stated that the atmosphere was humid. When the helicopter was refueled, he noticed that the carburetor had accumulated condensation from the humid air. The pilot departed and after 5 minutes of flight, he noticed that the carburetor air temperature gauge was reading in the lower one third of the yellow caution range. When he adjusted the carburetor heat control lever, the engine lost power. The pilot made an autorotation to an open area. The helicopter landed hard, the main rotor blade contacted and severed the tail boom, and the extended gear legs collapsed.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,415 hours in all; 1,658 in this make and model; 262 in the last 90 days; 59 in the last 30 days; 14,330 as pilot in command; 1,110 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 5, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,531 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 2, 2001; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-540-C2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Miller Aero Service, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Conchas NM at 3:25 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
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 N40296 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.