Hiller UH-12C accident near Rio Vista, California, July 3, 1995
On July 3, 1995 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12C (helicopter), registered N1348Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rio Vista, California (Rio Vista Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The result of a chafing failure of the left anti-torque control cable while the aircraft was in flight. An inadequate preflight inspection by the pilot-in-command, and an inadequate 100-hour inspection by company maintenance personnel were factors in this accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 1995 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Rio Vista, California · Rio Vista Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12C · all UH-12Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1348Z · registry record · serial 1043
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR WAS PERFORMING A LOW RPM RECOVERY WHEN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN AN UNCOMMANDED YAW TO THE RIGHT. HE ATTEMPTED TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT BY APPLYING FULL LEFT ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL, BUT IT HAD NO EFFECT ON THE YAW. HE LOWERED COLLECTIVE AND THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN HARD, REBOUNDED, AND CONTINUED TO YAW RIGHT. HE APPLIED LEFT CYCLIC AND ROLLED OFF THE THROTTLE AND TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT ANTI-TORQUE CONTROL CABLE HAD SEPARATED. A LABORATORY EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT FAILURE WAS DUE TO SEVERE WEAR. THE CABLE HAD CHAFED NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE STARTER. THE CABLE WAS IN AN AREA THAT COULD BE INSPECTED DURING A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT.
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: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 588 hours in all; 51 in this make and model; 76 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 535 as pilot in command; 138 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,583 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 6, 1995; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6V4 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Whirlybirds INC
The flight
- Departed from: O88 at 6:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 180 ft by 180 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from SUU, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N1348Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX95LA238.