Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hauula, Hawaii 96717
Friday, July 21, 1995 12:27 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HELICOPTER PILOT WAS FLYING WITHOUT AN OBSERVER. HE WAS INSERTING TWO POLICE OFFICERS WHO WERE IN A RESCUE NET 50 FEET BELOW THE HELICOPTER, INTO MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN TO SEARCH FOR A MISSING HIKER. DETERIORATING WEATHER AND CLOUD COVER WITH TURBULENCE WAS PRESENT. GROUND PERSONNEL WARNED THE PILOT THREE TIMES OF THE DETERIORATING CONDITIONS. A WITNESS STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS PARTIALLY IN THE CLOUDS BUT THE NET WAS IN THE CLEAR. HIKERS IN A CANYON NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE OBSERVED THE NET SWINGING LIKE A PENDULUM THROUGH AN ARC OF 45 TO 50 DEGREES. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE LINE WHICH SECURED THE NET TO THE HELICOPTER BECAME ENTANGLED WITH THE MAIN ROTOR AND WAS FOUND WRAPPED AROUND THE MAIN ROTOR MAST AND ALL THE MAIN ROTOR PITCH CHANGE LINKS WERE FACTURED. THE HELICOPTER PILOT'S FIRE DEPARTMENT RECORDS INDICATED HE HAD 511 HOURS OF HELICOPTER TIME WITH 2500 HOURS OF FIXED WING TIME. RECORDS WERE RECOVERED TO DOCUMENT ABOUT 261 HOURS OF ACTUAL HELICOPTER TIME. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED ABOUT 50 HOURS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF PILOT IN THEIR TYPE OF OPERATIONS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's poor judgement by intentionally flying into adverse weather conditions in mountainous terrain with an external load and no observer which resulted in loss of aircraft control. Factors were pressure from the conditions/events and a lack of total experience in the type of operation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/21/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1227 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | HAUULA |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96717 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| 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 | Witness |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 45 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 20 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 25 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1314 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 21 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1630 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:25PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1090S |
| NTSB Number | LAX95GA264 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | MCDONNELL DOUGLAS |
| Aircraft Model | 369D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 369D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 800788D |
| 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 | Apr 18 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 92 |
| Airframe Hours | 6592 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CITY/COUNTY OF HONOLULU |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1455 S. BERETANIA, RM 305 |
| Aircraft Owner City | HONOLULU |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96814 |
| 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 | |
| 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) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | HI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1220 |
| 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 | 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 | -- |