Hiller UH-12A accident near Florence, Alabama, June 29, 2013
On June 29, 2013 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12A (helicopter), registered N6331D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Florence, Alabama. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter while landing, which resulted in a tail rotor ground strike and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2013 · about 4:30 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Florence, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12A · all UH-12As on the register
- Registration
- N6331D · registry record · serial 213
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was attempting to land the helicopter on a trailer in order to transport it to another location. A witness reported that, while the helicopter was hovering above the trailer, it started to drift backwards. Subsequently, the nose of the helicopter rose, the tail struck the ground, the helicopter rolled to the right, the main rotor blades struck the ground, and the helicopter came to rest on the right side of the fuselage, which resulted in substantial damage. A postaccident examination of the helicopter did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Tailstrike during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Student pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 38 hours in all; 38 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6V4 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: River Cleaning INC
The flight
- Departed from: Florence AL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: Florence AL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from MSL, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on February 24, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector Telephone Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Muscle Shoals Weather | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1: Front View of the Helicopter at Rest (Courtesy of the FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2: Rear View of the Helicopter at Rest (Courtesy of the FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6331D on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Hiller UH-12 217 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Hiller 242 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Franklin 6V4 SERIES 84 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Alabama 1,211 since 1982 · 173 in the last ten years
- Alabama 4,355 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA13LA308.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.