MIA00LA145

Factual narrative

On May 6, 2000, about 1313 eastern daylight time, a Hiller UH-12C helicopter, N80584, registered to Ulfco Oil Inc., operated as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while maneuvering near Metter, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter incurred substantial damage, and the commercial-rated pilot sustained minor injuries. The flight originated from Metter, the same day, about 1250. The pilot stated that he was flying his helicopter near the Metter Airport, when he struck a power line. He stated that the wire strike destroyed the glass bubble and he thought that was the only damage, so he tried to return to the airport. As he approached the airport for landing, he was unable to control the engine rpm, which had stuck on a high setting, so he could not perform a normal autorotation. He landed the helicopter with high vertical and forward speeds, and the helicopter bounced, rolled over on the right side, and incurred substantial damage. The pilot stated that he was flying his helicopter and he struck a power line. He said that the wire strike destroyed the glass bubble and he thought that was the only damage, so he tried to return to the airport. As he approached the airport for landing, the pilot said he was unable to control the engine rpm, which had stuck on a high setting, and he could not perform a normal autorotation. He landed the helicopter with high vertical and forward speeds, and the helicopter received substantial damage. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12