Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kaupo, Hawaii 96713
Monday, October 24, 1994 8:30 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
AN EUROCOPTER AS-350D COLLIDED WITH TREES AFTER A LOSS OF POWER WHILE OPERATING IN A MARINE ENVIRONMENT. THE PILOT REPORTED HE HEARD AN EXPLOSION FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE OUT HORN. THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE (T4) GAUGE WAS NOTED AT 900 DEGREES CELSIUS AND THE ENGINE CHIP DETECTOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE HAD SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE AXIAL COMPRESSOR, COMPRESSOR STATOR VANES, AND THE IMPELLER. PORTIONS OF THE IMPELLER BLADES WERE EXAMINED MICROSCOPICALLY REVEALING EVIDENCE OF METAL FATIGUE, WITH PITTING EVIDENT THROUGHOUT THE BLADES. ENERGY DISPERSIVE X RAY SHOWED THE PRESENCE OF SULFUR AND CHLORINE IN CORROSION DEPOSITS IN THE PITS. THE ENGINE WAS INSPECTED TWICE IN THE MONTH PRECEDING THE ACCIDENT. THE INSPECTION CRITERIA OUTLINED IN THE ENGINE MAINTENANCE MANUAL DETAILS A VISUAL INSPECTION PROCEDURE OF THE COMPRESSOR SECTION FOR CRACKS. THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL ALSO PRESCRIBES A DAILY COMPRESSOR WATER RINSE TO REMOVE SALT DEPOSITS, FOLLOWED BY INSPECTING THE COMPRESSOR FOR CLEANLINESS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
a total loss of engine power by the corrosion fatigue failure of the compressor impeller due to the failure of company maintenance personnel to perform the prescribed daily compressor wash procedures and the inadequate maintenance inspections, which failed to detect the corrosion and subsequent pitting, that led to the fatigue initiation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/24/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 830 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | KAUPO |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96713 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| 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 | 754 Hawaii Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OGG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 54 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 28 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | HST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1959 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 24 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1238 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5771L |
| NTSB Number | LAX95LA019 |
| 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 | EUROCOPTER |
| Aircraft Model | AS-350D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AS-350D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1343 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4300 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 12 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 53 |
| Airframe Hours | 9146 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PAPILLON HELICOPTER, LTD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2250 KALAKAUA AVE., SUITE 514 |
| Aircraft Owner City | HONOLULU |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98034 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | ILNA |
| 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 | OGG |
| Departure City | KAHULUI |
| Departure State | HI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 800 |
| 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 | Emergency landing |
| 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 | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |