Hiller UH12 accident near Sarasota, Florida, May 9, 2010
On May 9, 2010 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Hiller UH12 (helicopter), registered N116S, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Sarasota, Florida. 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 pilot's delayed remedial action to maintain main rotor rpm, which resulted in a loss of lift and hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 2010 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sarasota, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH12 NO SERIES · all UH12s on the register
- Registration
- N116S · no longer on the register · serial 278
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner of the helicopter stated that while in cruise flight, he let his rotor rpm decay due to inattention and "complacency." He decided he could not recover the rotor rpm "quickly enough" and performed an autorotation to a pasture. The pilot leveled the helicopter about 8 feet above the ground where it "lost lift [and] dropped straight down." At ground contact, the main rotor blades contacted the tail boom, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter.
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
- Loss of control in flight during enroute (cruise)
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 758 hours in all; 748 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 27, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,031.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 11, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6V335B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Helicopter Service By Randy, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: FA22 Sarasota FL at 10:00 pm
- Destination: FA22 Sarasota FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from SRQ, 12 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N116S 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.