Hiller UH-12C accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico, January 12, 1984
On January 12, 1984 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12C (helicopter), registered N5317V, was involved in an accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed; 1 other was unhurt. 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
- January 12, 1984 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12C · all UH-12Cs on the register
- Registration
- N5317V · registry record · serial 768
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A PERFORMER FELL FROM A TRAPEZE RIGGED BELOW THE HELICOPTER WHILE IT WAS HOVERING AT ABOUT 150 FT AGL. THE FAA HAD NOT AUTHORIZED THE MODIFICATION TO THE ACFT. THE PLT WAS NOT CERTIFIED FOR EXTERNAL LOAD OPERATIONS. THE PERFORMER REPORTEDLY HAD NOT DONE THIS ACT BEFORE AND WAS NOT IN EXCELLENT PHYSICAL CONDITION.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,450 hours in all; 609 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,572 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 14, 1983; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin VO-335 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from SJU, 8 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N5317V 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.