Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 accident near Zephyrhills, Florida, March 24, 1999
On March 24, 1999 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 (helicopter), registered N4412C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Zephyrhills, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 student pilot's improper use of flight controls (cyclic and collective) during a takeoff to a hover. This resulted in the helicopter encountering dynamic rollover and rolling over on its right side.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 1999 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Zephyrhills, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 · all FH-1100s on the register
- Registration
- N4412C · no longer on the register · serial 187
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was going to wash his helicopter in his back yard. He realized the garden hose was about 6 feet short. He decided to move the helicopter about 10 to 15 feet to the right. He started the helicopter and completed a flight control check which was uneventful. He increased collective, cyclic, applied left antitorque pedal, and started to pick up the helicopter. Before he knew it the helicopter entered dynamic rollover and rolled over on its right side.
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: student
- Flight time: 40 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,250 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison C-18-440331 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N/A at 3:59 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from TPA, 28 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.
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.