Hiller UH-12E accident near Corwith, Iowa, August 31, 1983
On August 31, 1983 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12E (helicopter), registered N173HA, was destroyed in an accident near Corwith, Iowa. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
- August 31, 1983 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Corwith, Iowa · 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
- N173HA · no longer on the register · serial HA-3073
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PLT HEARD A CLANKING NOISE BEHIND HIM WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A SEVERE VIBRATION OF THE FLT CONTROLS. HE INITIATED AN AUTOROTATIVE DESCENT FROM 3000 FT. HE SAID THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO ROLL LEFT, THEN RIGHTED ITSELF. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN WITH A FORWARD SPEED OF ABOUT 50 MPH, THEN ROLLED & WAS DESTROYED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE CONTROL ROTOR CUFF, PN 36124-3, HAD FAILED FROM FATIGUE.
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; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,623 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 391 in the last 90 days; 5,471 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,410 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 9, 1983; 300 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-540-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1D5 Garner IA at 8:15 pm
- Destination: Fonda IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N173HA 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.