Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kamuela, Hawaii 96743
Sunday, January 12, 1997 10:26 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter was being operated in a marine environment. The pilot reported he lost engine power during the initial takeoff climb and autorotated to an open field. The helicopter landed hard and the main rotor blades severed the tailboom. Examination of the engine fuel filter, the fuel control unit (FCU) screen, and the fuel nozzle screen revealed contamination in the fuel system. The helicopter had been inspected in accordance with the manufacturer's 100/300 hour inspection about 21.2 flight hours before the accident. There were no reports of the engine fuel filter bypassing or the fuel filter caution light illuminating. The manufacturer's inspection program does not require the inspection of the fuel screens at the 100 or 300 hour intervals. The airframe manufacturer's maintenance manual does indicate that a conditional inspection be performed after the fuel filter caution light has illuminated. Review of the conditional inspection procedures revealed the FCU screen is to be removed and cleaned; however, there is no requirement for the removal and cleaning of the nozzle screen, which is downstream of the FCU screen, before the part's 2,500 hour overhaul cycle.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
fuel system contamination resulting in a partial loss of power, and the failure of the pilot to maintain adequate rotor rpm to cushion the autorotative landing and prevent main rotor blade contact with the tailboom. Factors were the inadequacy of manufacturer's maintenance inspection procedures for aircraft operated in a marine environment.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/12/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1026 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | KAMUELA |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96743 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| 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 | 750 Hawaii Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 105 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ITO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 38 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 39 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | HST |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 654 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 13 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1440 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:06PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7012G |
| NTSB Number | LAX97LA088 |
| 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 | McDonnell Douglas |
| Aircraft Model | 369D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 369D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 510981D |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2100 |
| 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 | Nov 13 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 21 |
| Airframe Hours | 3804 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | IMUA AIR SERVICE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 111333 |
| Aircraft Owner City | KAMEULA |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96743 |
| 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 | I6SL |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | External Load |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| 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 | Takeoff |
| 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 | -- |