Hiller UH-12B accident near Jerome, Idaho, June 23, 1983
On June 23, 1983 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12B (helicopter), registered N245C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jerome, Idaho. It was a ferry 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 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
- June 23, 1983 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jerome, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12B · all UH-12Bs on the register
- Registration
- N245C · registry record · serial 324
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE AFTER A FORCED LANDING DUE TO PWR LOSS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS EN ROUTE HOME AFTER AN AERIAL APPLICATION MISSION WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE MADE AN AUTO-ROTATION DOWNWIND AND AFTER EXITING THE ACFT NOTICED AN ENGINE FIRE. THE ACFT AND 2 ACRES OF RANGE GRASS WERE DESTROYED IN THE FIRE. FAA INSPECTORS EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE POWER LOSS BECAUE OF THE EXTENSIVE FIRE DAMAGE.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 370 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,700 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Franklin 6V35B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U94 Hazelton ID at 6:40 pm
- Destination: Jerome ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from BYI, 30 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.