Hiller UH-12E accident near Union Church, Mississippi, October 6, 1987
On October 6, 1987 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12E (helicopter), registered N4029R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Union Church, Mississippi. 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
- October 6, 1987 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Union Church, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12E · all UH-12Es on the register
- Registration
- N4029R · no longer on the register · serial 5103
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT AN ALTITUDE OF APRX 75 FEET DURING AN AGRICULTURAL TURN, THE PLT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE LOST POWER. WHILE EXECUTING A FORCED LANDING, THE ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED TREES, AFTER WHICH, DURING THE DESCENT, THE RIGHT SKID COLLIDED WITH A STUMP & THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER. AN ENGINE TEST RUN WAS PERFORMED AND NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND WHICH WOULD PRECLUDE NORMAL ENGINE OPERATION. THE NTSB WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ACCIDENT 20 DAYS AFTERWARD, AND, AS A RESULT, NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE QUANTITY OR TYPE OF FUEL IN THE ACFT AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE.
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: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,100 hours in all; 1,510 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 7,020 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,389 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 26, 1987; 184 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-540-C2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Burgundy Farms
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:52 pm from MCB, 32 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 N4029R 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.