Honolulu International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Honolulu, Hawaii 96819
Wednesday, July 7, 1993 15:59 HST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER COMPLETING A PERIOD OF DUAL, THE CFI SAID HE FELT THE STUDENT WAS READY FOR HIS FIRST SUPERVISED SOLO, AND HE EXITED THE AIRPLANE AFTER INSTRUCTING THE STUDENT TO COMPLETE 3 TAKEOFF, APPROACH TO A HOVER, & LANDING MANEUVERS. DURING THE 3RD LANDING MANEUVER THE HELICOPTER BEGAN ROTATING, THEN DESCENDED RAPIDLY AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE STUDENT HAD RECEIVED 21 HRS OF HELICOPTER DUAL INSTRUCTION, FROM 3 DIFFERENT INSTRUCTORS, DURING 15 LESSONS. ALL 3 INSTRUCTORS USED THE ROBINSON FLIGHT TRAINING GUIDE AS A SYLLABUS; THE GUIDE STATES 'UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE STUDENTS PERMITTED TO FLY SOLO IN WINDS IN EXCESS OF 15 KNOTS.' THE PERFORMANCE SECTION OF THE PILOT OPERATOR HANBOOK STATES THAT CONTROLLABILITY HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED FOR CROSSWINDS AND TAILWINDS UP TO 17 KNOTS. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE TOWER WAS REPORTING RAIN SHOWERS NORTHEAST; PERIODIC WIND GUSTS TO 25 KTS WERE ALSO REPORTED DURING THE TIME OF THE FLIGHT. A LLWAS WIND SENSOR NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS REPORTING AVERAGE SPEEDS OF 15-18 KTS.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE INSTRUCTOR ALLOWING THE STUDENT FLY SOLO IN WIND CONDITIONS EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE WINDS IN THE TRAINING SYLLABUS, AND ALSO NEAR THE MAXIMUM DEMONSTRATED CONTROLLABILITY ENVELOPE FOR THE HELICOPTER. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE UNFAVORABLE WIND CONDITIONS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/7/1993
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1559
Event Time Zone Hawaii Standard Time
Event City HONOLULU
Event State HAWAII
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 96819
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID HNL
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 13
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1555 Hawaii Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID HNL
Elevation of weather observation facility 13
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation HST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2500
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) 25
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 29
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 20
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 14
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 25
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1416
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 7 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2010
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:28PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N501R
NTSB Number LAX93FA281
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name ROBINSON
Aircraft Model R22B
Aircraft Series Identifier R22B
Aircraft Serial Number 1169
Certified Max Gross Weight 1300
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 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jun 22 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 47
Airframe Hours 2260
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RAINBOW PACIFIC HELICOPTERS
Aircraft Owner Street Address 120 KAPALULU PL. STE. 210
Aircraft Owner City HONOLULU
Aircraft Owner State HI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 96819
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) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1502
Departure Time Zone HST
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code HNL
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Hover
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 --