Hiller UH-12E accident near Los Banos, California, February 2, 2010
On February 2, 2010 at about 9:20 pm local time, a Hiller UH-12E (helicopter), registered N36MV, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Los Banos, California. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 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
A partial loss of engine power due to a failure of the throttle interconnect hardware, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 2, 2010 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Los Banos, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hiller UH-12E · all UH-12Es on the register
- Registration
- N36MV · no longer on the register · serial 5060
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the helicopter had just completed an aerial application flight and was returning to land. As he approached the landing area, he began to apply power, but the engine did not respond. He continued to twist the throttle, but it felt loose with no resistance and the engine speed did not change. He aborted the landing approach and performed a run-on landing in a field; during the approach the engine speed began to decrease and the helicopter landed hard, causing substantial damage to the tail boom and lower fuselage. Postaccident examination revealed that the throttle control attach fitting located in the aft section of the collective control had become separated. The nuts and bolts attaching the fitting were not located. The lack of witness marks on the throttle fitting indicates that either the attachment bolt failed or rapidly unscrewed from its associated nut. The disconnection resulted in a loss of engine control and subsequent partial loss of engine power. The last annual inspection occurred 11 months and 250 flight hours prior to the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,500 hours in all; 7,000 in this make and model; 18,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 24, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,064 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 25, 2009; 249 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,700 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Jeff Streeter Motor Sports INC
The flight
- Departed from: Los Banos CA at 9:00 pm
- Destination: Los Banos CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 700 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 9:01 pm from MCE, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N36MV 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.