Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Volcano, Hawaii 96785
Saturday, September 3, 1994 17:45 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A SIGHTSEEING TOUR HELICOPTER WITH FOUR PASSENGERS ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT AND THE PILOT LANDED AT 7,500 FEET MSL TO WAIT FOR THE WEATHER TO CLEAR. DURING THE LANDING, PASSENGERS HEARD AND OBSERVED THE LOW ROTOR RPM ANNUNCIATOR. AFTER THE WEATHER CLEARED, A LOW BATTERY PREVENTED THE ENGINE FROM STARTING. A SECOND HELICOPTER (THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT) WITH THE PILOT AND A MECHANIC WAS DISPATCHED TO RETRIEVE THE PASSENGERS. DURING LIFT-OFF, THE PASSENGERS AGAIN HEARD AND OBSERVED THE LOW ROTOR RPM ANNUNCIATOR. THE HELICOPTER'S NOSE PIVOTED ABOUT 45 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT AS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED DOWNSLOPE. THE HELICOPTER'S LEFT LANDING GEAR SKID STRUCK A SMALL RIDGE AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OVER. BOTH AIRCRAFT AND ALL OCCUPANTS REMAINED OVERNIGHT UNTIL RESCUE THE FOLLOWING DAY.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's failure to maintain adequate main rotor rpm and the resultant inadvertent skid contact with the ground.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/3/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1745 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | VOLCANO |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96785 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| 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 | 1752 Hawaii Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ITO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 38 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | HST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 110 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 9000 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1345 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 4 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1245 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N279F |
| NTSB Number | LAX94LA352 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | 369E |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 369E |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 0122E |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 27 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 18 |
| Airframe Hours | 7868 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | I'O AVIATION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 24 BRIG ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | HILO |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96720 |
| 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 | COMMUTER AIR TERMINAL |
| Operator City | HILO |
| Operator State | HI |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | 96720 |
| Operator Code | FDPA |
| 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 | 1715 |
| Departure Time Zone | HST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ITO |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | HI |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 25 2004 1:06PM |
| 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 | -- |