Hiller UH-12B accident near Thermal, California, March 12, 2005
On March 12, 2005 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12B (helicopter), registered N5311V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Thermal, California (Jacqueline Cochran Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 inadequate in-flight planning and failure to refuel the helicopter, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 2005 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Thermal, California · Jacqueline Cochran Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12B · all UH-12Bs on the register
- Registration
- N5311V · registry record · serial 703
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter landed hard and the main rotor blades severed the tail boom following a loss of engine power and an autorotation to the runway surface. The helicopter had just undergone an annual inspection. The pilot said the fuel gauge was reading less than 1/2 full, and that a full fuel tank, approximately 25 gallons, provides about 2 hours of flight. The pilot was supposed to fly the helicopter for a post maintenance flight check to the end of the runway and then return. The pilot continued to fly the helicopter for about 1 hour until the power loss occurred. Post accident examination by the aviation maintenance technician did not reveal any fuel in the fuel tanks. Fixed base operator personnel that assisted following the accident did not see any fuel spill on the ground surrounding the helicopter. The pilot reported refueling the helicopter about 2 1/2 months prior at his local airport. There were no fueling records on file to indicate that the helicopter had been refueled. Post accident examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any mechanical anomalies or breeches in the fuel system.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,467 hours in all; 305 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 4,213 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,020 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2005; 0.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin O-335-5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UDD Bermuda Dunes CA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: TRM Thermal CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 4,995 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from TRM
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.
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.