Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Honolulu, Hawaii 96850
Monday, July 8, 1996 16:04 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The Hughes helicopter, N64MK, and the Mooney airplane, N5801N, had departed on a formation flight to film a movie. Cameramen were in both aircraft, and an actress was in the Mooney's right front seat. By prior arrangements, the Mooney was the lead aircraft and was flown by its left seated airline transport pilot. A commercial certificated pilot was flying the Hughes, also from the left seat. The pilots were in radio contact with each other. Videotape taken from both aircraft was reviewed. While cruising past Diamond Head at 100 knots and 1,000 feet above sea level, the Hughes decreased its distance from the Mooney's right wing, joined up in a tight side-by-side formation, and at times was several feet higher, lower, in front of, and behind the Mooney. The Mooney pilot reported that she observed the Hughes. Seconds prior to the Hughes' main rotor blades impacting and severing the outer 3 feet of the Mooney's right wing, the Mooney pilot diverted her attention away from the Hughes. The Mooney pilot looked outside her left windshield and pointed out to the actress the presence of a shoreline hotel. After the collision, the Mooney landed without further mishap. The Hughes autorotated into the ocean and sank.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the failure of both pilots to maintain adequate clearance from each other while in formation flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/8/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1604 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | HONOLULU |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96850 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| 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 | 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 | 3500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| 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) | 1756 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 8 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:12AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N64MK | N5801N |
| NTSB Number | LAX96LA267A | LAX96LA267B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Hughes | Mooney |
| Aircraft Model | 369D | M20J |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 369D | M20J |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 890565D | 24-1606 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 | 2740 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 5 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 3 1996 12:00AM | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- | -- |
| ELT Installed | No | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TOMBO AVIATION, INC. | COSMO FLYING SCHOOL, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 120 KAPALULU PLACE, SUITE 302 | 100 KAULELE PLACE |
| Aircraft Owner City | HONOLULU | HONOLULU |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96819 | 96819 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | ||
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | ||
| Operator City | ||
| Operator State | ||
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | ||
| Operator Code | MKHA | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load | 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) | Other Work Use | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | HNL | HNL |
| Departure City | ||
| Departure State | ||
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 1555 | 1555 |
| Departure Time Zone | HST | HST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | ||
| Destination City | ||
| Destination State | ||
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |