Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kukuihaele, Hawaii 96727
Thursday, August 11, 1994 12:15 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING A SIGHTSEEING HELICOPTER TOUR FLIGHT AT 1200 FEET AGL, THE PILOT HEARD AND THEN NOTICED A DECREASE IN THE MAIN ROTOR RPM. THE PILOT BEGAN A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TO A BOULDER-COVERED LEDGE ABOUT 50 FEET FROM THE SURF LINE. WHEN THE PILOT ADDED POWER FOR THE LANDING, THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESPOND AND THE MAIN ROTOR RPM HORN SOUNDED. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE MAIN ROTOR AND TAIL ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE ROCKS AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. A SUBSEQUENT ENGINE EXAMINATION REVEALED A FATIGUE CRACK IN A STEEL 'T' FITTING THAT ATTACHED THE PNEUMATIC PG ACCUMULATOR TO THE POWER TURBINE GOVERNOR. THE CRACK WAS LOCATED IN THE CHANNEL OF THE FITTING WHERE THE ADJACENT NUT RETENTION WIRE IS WRAPPED. A METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED NO OTHER CONDITIONS THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE INITIATION OF THE CRACK.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
a fatigue crack in the 'T' fitting on the power turbine governor pneumatic accumulator. A factor was the rough, rock-covered landing area.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/11/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1215 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | KUKUIHAELE |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96727 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1252 Hawaii Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 115 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ITO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 38 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | HST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| 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) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| 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 | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 7 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1339 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 11 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1651 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:00PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N889AT |
| NTSB Number | LAX94FA317 |
| 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 | AEROSPATIALE |
| Aircraft Model | AS350-D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AS350-D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1332 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 3 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 97 |
| Airframe Hours | 7395 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HAWAIIAN HELI-JET INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7822 OLD HWY 99 SE |
| Aircraft Owner City | OLYMPIA |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98501 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 68-1854 LINA POEPOE |
| Operator City | WAIKOLOA |
| Operator State | HI |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | 96738 |
| Operator Code | YHJA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | -- |
| 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 | 1145 |
| Departure Time Zone | HST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MUE |
| Destination City | WAIMEA |
| Destination State | HI |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 7 2004 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\HAMG |
| 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 | -- |