Hiller UH-12E accident near Chinook, Montana, January 15, 1993
On January 15, 1993 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12E (helicopter), registered N28908, suffered minor damage in an accident near Chinook, Montana (Chinook airport). It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INATTENTIVE FBO PERSONNEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 15, 1993 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Chinook, Montana · Chinook · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12E · all UH-12Es on the register
- Registration
- N28908 · registry record · serial 1332
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD LANDED THE HELICOPTER NEAR THE FUEL PUMPS AS EARLIER AGREED UPON BY THE FBO PERSONNEL. AS THE MAIN AND TAIL ROTORS WERE WINDING DOWN, THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE HELICOPTER AND WERE REMOVING BAGGAGE WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL FROM THE FBO EXITED A NEARBY HANGAR AND WAS FOLLOWING A PATH WAY IN THE SNOW TOWARD THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AND THE HELICOPTER. THE PILOT CALLED OUT TO THE INDIVIDUAL TO CAUTION HIM OF THE TAIL ROTOR, HOWEVER, THE INDIVIDUAL CONTINUED AND WAS STRUCK BY THE TAIL ROTOR.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 9,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,953 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 29, 1992; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming V0-540-C2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dept Of Interior
The flight
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 1°F (-17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.