Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hi. Nat'l Park, Hawaii 96718
Friday, March 25, 1994 14:50 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A STEAM CLOUD WHILE HOVERING AND COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN NEAR A VOLCANO VENT. THE PILOT LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WHILE AT A 5-FOOT HOVER AFTER BEING ENVELOPED BY THE STEAM CLOUD. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND BY DESCENDING. DURING THE DESCENT, THE HELICOPTER'S LEFT SKID STRUCK A ROCK. THE HELICOPTER ROLLED RIGHT AND STRUCK THE GROUND.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's in-flight decision to maneuver the helicopter close to an active volcano steam vent which resulted in a whiteout condition from the steam, and the pilot's subsequent loss of visual contact with the ground.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/25/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1450 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | HI. NAT'L PARK |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96718 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1351 Hawaii Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 203 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ITO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 38 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 24 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | HST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2300 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 244 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 25 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1925 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 10:50AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N113RS |
| NTSB Number | LAX94LA174 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | 369D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 369D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 590506D |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 8 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 60 |
| Airframe Hours | 8133 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MAUNA KEA HELICOPTERS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 1713 |
| Aircraft Owner City | KAMUELA |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96743 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | MAUNA KEA HELICOPTERS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 1713 |
| Operator City | KAMUELA |
| Operator State | HI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 96743 |
| Operator Code | MUNA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ITO |
| Departure City | HILO |
| Departure State | HI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1415 |
| Departure Time Zone | HST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Hover |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |