Hiller UH 12E accident near Frankfort, Kansas, September 20, 2018
On September 20, 2018 at about 12:30 pm local time, a 1960 Hiller UH 12E (helicopter), registered N1349A, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Frankfort, Kansas. It was an external-load flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The ground crewmember's improper grabbing of the hovering helicopter's skid during an external load hook-up, which resulted in the helicopter descending and the main rotors striking ground equipment.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 2018 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Frankfort, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH 12E Undesignat, built 1960 · all UH 12Es on the register
- Registration
- N1349A · registry record · serial 2035
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External-load flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot in the skid-equipped helicopter reported that he established a hover over a seeding bucket so that the ground crew could attach the bucket to the helicopter's cargo hook. One of the ground crewmembers grabbed the skid while trying to connect the bucket, and subsequently, the helicopter descended, which resulted in the main rotor blades striking ground equipment. The helicopter subsequently came to rest upright on top of a grass bale in front of the equipment. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor and tail rotor drive systems. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter 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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (hover) defining event
- External load event (Rotorcraft) during maneuvering (hover)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Ground crew
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground equipment › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,030 hours in all; 6,980 in this make and model; 59 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 10,925 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 2, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,654.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-540-C2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sky Copters Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: Frankfort KS at 12:30 pm
- Destination: Frankfort KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 13 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 12:15 pm from KBIE, 39 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 13, 2019. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | 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.
Other NTSB records under N1349A 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.