Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gilbert Islands
Thursday, July 7, 1994 16:30 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT WAS ORBITING THE FISHING VESSEL WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD 'BANG.' HE SAID THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED FORWARD AND BEGAN AN UNCOMMANDED SPIN TO THE RIGHT. HE LOWERED COLLECTIVE AND INITIATED AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION TO THE WATER. HE HAD DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD. A POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THE ANTI-TORQUE ROTOR AND HUB WERE MISSING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THEY SAW THE ANTI-TORQUE BLADES AND HUB SEPARATE AS A UNIT JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HIS PREVIOUS INSPECTIONS HAD NOT DETECTED ANY INDICATIONS OF A VOID ON EITHER BLADE, AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES AND SERVICE INFORMATION NOTICES. A LABORATORY INSPECTION OF THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE ANTI-TORQUE SYSTEM GEARBOX FAILED TO REVEAL ANY INDICATIONS OF PREEXISTING CRACKS ON THE FRACTURE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
AN IN FLIGHT FAILURE AND SEPARATION OF THE TAIL ROTOR FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/7/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1630 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | GILBERT ISLANDS |
| Event State | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| 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 | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| 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) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 110 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 934 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 14 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1015 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 11:43AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9242F |
| NTSB Number | LAX94LA285 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | 369HS |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 369HS |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 07035 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 3 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 35 |
| Airframe Hours | 14125 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HORNET CORPORATION TRUSTEE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3400 CALLE DEL CORRIDO |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAS VEGAS |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89107 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ROLAND VIRISSIMO, SR. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5430 HARBOR DRIVE, SUITE A |
| Operator City | SAN DIEGO |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1600 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| 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 | Maneuvering |
| 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 | -- |