Hiller UH-12E accident near Salinas, California, April 26, 1989
On April 26, 1989 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12E (helicopter), registered N169HA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salinas, California. 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 SEPARATION OF THE TORSION COUPLING IN THE MAIN ROTOR DRIVE SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 1989 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Salinas, California
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12E · all UH-12Es on the register
- Registration
- N169HA · no longer on the register · serial HA 3069
- 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 ENGINE RPM INCREASED AND THE ROTOR RPM DECREASED. THE PILOT AUTOROTATED TO AN OPEN FIELD WHERE AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE TORSION COUPLING WAS SEPARATED IN THE MAIN ROTOR DRIVE 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,576 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 104 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,109 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 17, 1989; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-540-C2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from SNS, 5 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 N169HA 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.