Hiller UH-23-D accident near Brentwood, California, August 5, 1987
On August 5, 1987 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Hiller UH-23-D (helicopter), registered N61PC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brentwood, California. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 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 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
- August 5, 1987 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Brentwood, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-23-D
- Registration
- N61PC · registry record · serial 1309
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, THE TAIL BOOM WEIGHT SEPARATED AND CONTACTED THE TAIL ROTOR. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND COLLIDED WITH A TREE AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE TERRAIN. POST ACC INVEST REVEALED THAT THE 'PIP PINS' WHICH SECURE THE TAIL BOOM WEIGHT BROKE IN FLT ALLOWING MOVEMENT OF THE WEIGHT.
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: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 4,900 in this make and model; 90 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,502 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 12, 1987; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N61PC 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.