Hiller UH12E accident near Castroville, California, April 27, 1986
On April 27, 1986 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Hiller UH12E (helicopter), registered N5374V, was destroyed in an accident near Castroville, California (Salinas airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 1986 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Castroville, California · Salinas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH12E · all UH12Es on the register
- Registration
- N5374V · registry record · serial 2073
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT LANDED HARD AND ROLLED OVER AFTER THE LNDG SKID FAILED IN A FORCED LNDG. THE PLT SAID HE WAS CRUSING AT 500 FT AGL OVER AN OPEN FIELD WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO VIBRATE SEVERELY AND SPIRAL TO THE RIGHT. THE PLT LOST GROUND REFERENCE IN THE PRE-DAWN DARKNESS WHEN HE TURNED ON THE LIGHTS. NOT WANTING TO LAND TOO HARD HE ELECTED TO LEAVE THE ENG RUNNING AND NOT AUTO-ROTATE. INVESTIGATION INDICATED THAT ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE HAD SEPARATED AT THE TENSION TORSION STRAP ATTACH BOLT HOLE. THIS IS THE TRANSITION AREA WHERE THE BLADE ROOT CASTING AND SHEET METAL BLADE SKIN ARE JOINED. THE FRACTURE SURFACE OF THE CASTING APPEARED TO BE OVERLOADED WITH NO APPARENT INDICATION OF FATIGUE. THE OUTBOARD BLADE SECTION SHOWED NO INDICATION OF FOREIGN OBJECT CONTACT. ALL COMPONENTS OF THE HELICOPTER WERE LOCATED IN THE IMPACT AREA EXCEPT ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE.
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: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,563 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 1, 1985; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Castroville CA at 12:30 pm
- Destination: Salinas CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:48 pm from SNS
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.