Hiller UH-12E accident near Castroville, California, October 28, 1999
On October 28, 1999 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12E (helicopter), registered N5374V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Castroville, California. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and diverted attention.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 1999 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Castroville, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12E · all UH-12Es on the register
- Registration
- N5374V · registry record · serial 2073
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had been spraying a field and altered his course to move away from telephone repair personnel who were working on a pole located near the field he intended to spray. While flying between 25 and 30 feet above the ground, the pilot diverted his attention toward the global positioning satellite receiver in which he intended to mark his new spray position. While proceeding over the field he looked up and observed a power line directly in front of his helicopter. With insufficient time to turn, the helicopter collided with the power line. Thereafter, the pilot lost control and the helicopter impacted the underlying field.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 8,000 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 18,000 as pilot in command; 800 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,374 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 28, 1999; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,800 ft; scat at 900 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from SNS, 8 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.
Other NTSB records under N5374V 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.