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WPR24LA262

2024-07-24 · Bonners Ferry, Idaho, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport NONE

Current FAA registration · N3375T

Make / Model
HILLER UH-12E
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A3B2E9

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s improper selection of a landing site, which resulted in a main rotor strike. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s improper performance planning and altitude selection over water, which resulted in an rpm droop.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the helicopter reported that with two passengers aboard, he approached a mountain lake to a hover above the water and saw the engine and rotor speed decrease to the green arc of the engine and rotor tachometer. He maneuvered the helicopter to the shore, and with the engine and rotor continuing to droop, he landed on some “substantially sized granite rocks” where the skids became lodged in the rocks. The helicopter then tipped forward and the main rotor blades impacted the rocks, which resulted in substantial damage to the main rotor and fuselage. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that he did not verify the performance capability for an in-ground effect or a hover out of ground effect over water. The Helicopter Flying Handbook, FAA-H-8083-21B, states, “When hovering over surfaces as tall grass, trees, bushes, rough terrain, and water, maximum ground effect is reduced.” Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Powerplant parameters-Not attained/maintained
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Prop/rotor parameters-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_WPR24LA262.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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