Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hana, Hawaii 96713
Wednesday, September 16, 1992 11:00 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE INTENDED 45 MINUTE SIGHT SEEING HELICOPTER FLIGHT DEPARTED THE AIRPORT AT ABOUT 1032 HOURS. ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS INCLUDING THUNDERSTORMS, RAIN SHOWERS, AND POOR VISIBILITY WERE REPORTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT SITE THROUGHOUT THE MORNING. THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT PILOT HAD A RADIO CONVERSATION WITH ANOTHER SIGHT SEEING TOUR PILOT BETWEEN 1055 HOURS AND ABOUT 1100 HOURS. THIS PILOT CONTACTED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT PILOT TO TRY TO DETERMINE WHICH ROUTE SHE SHOULD TAKE TO AVOID THE ADVERSE WEATHER. SHE REPORTED THE ACCIDENT PILOT'S LAST CONVERSATION WITH HER AS 'DON'T COME DOWN THIS WAY, THE WEATHER IS GETTING REAL BAD.' A WITNESS LOCATED ON THE GROUND IN THE VICINITY OF THE ACCIDENT REPORTED RAIN SHOWERS AND MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION AT ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE SAW A BLUE AND WHITE HELICOPTER FLYING IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY A HELICOPTER WOULD BE FLYING SO CLOSE TO THE MOUNTAINS IN CONSIDERATION OF THE ADVERSE WEATHER. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE SHOWED THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED A 30 DEGREE SLOPE IN A LEVEL 15 DEGREE RIGHT BANK. WRECKAGE AND DEBRIS WERE SCATTERED OVER A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 175 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT LOCATION.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT INADEQUATELY EVALUATING THE ENROUTE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND THE PILOT MAKING THE INFLIGHT DECISION TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE THE INABILITY OF THE PILOT TO SEE AND AVOID THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN DUE TO THE THUNDERSTORMS AND OBSCURATION.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/16/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1100 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | HANA |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96713 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| 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 | 50 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | 7 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 7 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 654 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 16 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1830 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 48051 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N350SM |
| NTSB Number | LAX92FA388 |
| 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 | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | Ground |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROSPATIALE |
| Aircraft Model | AS-350B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AS-350B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1488 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4300 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 18 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 22 |
| Airframe Hours | 7428 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HAWAII HELLICOPTERS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | KAHULUI HELIPORT #106 |
| Aircraft Owner City | KAHULUI |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96732 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | HAWAII HELLICOPTERS, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | KAHULUI HELIPORT #106 |
| Operator City | KAHULUI |
| Operator State | HI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 96732 |
| Operator Code | HWVA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | OGG |
| Departure City | KAHULUI |
| Departure State | HI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1032 |
| Departure Time Zone | HST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | OGG |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |