Skip to content

WPR22LA245

2022-07-06 · Wenatchee, Washington, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport NA

Current FAA registration · N130HA

Make / Model
HILLER UH-12E
Engine
LYCOMING VO-540 SERIES (310 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20120216
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A07BE1

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during low-level operations in light rain conditions.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he was maneuvering the helicopter at low altitude over a cherry field in light rain conditions. As he air taxied about 30 ft above the ground and about 15 knots, the helicopter struck a power line and landed inverted on a tractor. The helicopter was destroyed by the postcrash fire. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Wire-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2022_WPR22LA245.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.