Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 accident near Cody, Wyoming, July 31, 2012
On July 31, 2012 at about 3:20 pm local time, a 1969 Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 (helicopter), registered N5038F, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Cody, Wyoming. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of a tail rotor driveshaft coupling due to fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2012 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Cody, Wyoming · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild Hiller FH-1100, built 1969 · all FH-1100s on the register
- Registration
- N5038F · no longer on the register · serial 186
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while in cruise flight, the rear of the helicopter suddenly began to vibrate. He performed an autorotation to a field, and the helicopter landed hard. The tailboom and main transmission mounts were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that a tail rotor driveshaft coupling had split in half, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor drive. Postaccident examination of the tail rotor driveshaft coupling revealed that the coupling failure was initiated by fatigue cracking. A complete history of the part was not available; therefore, the total time in service of the part could not be determined.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Autorotation Hard landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › (general) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › (general) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Yaw control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 893 hours in all; 77 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 3, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,250 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C18 (turboshaft); 2,412 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Cody WY at 2:15 pm
- Destination: Cody WY
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from COD, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR12LA341.