Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kahului, Hawaii 96732
Monday, December 7, 1992 12:52 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A HUGHES 269B DITCHED IN THE OCEAN AFTER AN INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL. THE HELICOPTER WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE THE WATER. THE PILOT DESCENDED TO ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE THE WATER AND DECELERATED TO ABOUT 20 MILES PER HOUR. THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND THE MAIN ROTOR RPM BEGAN TO DROP. THE PILOT TURNED RIGHT AND INCREASED THE THROTTLE. THE PILOT NOTICED THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE INCREASED COMMENSURATE WITH THE THROTTLE APPLICATION; HOWEVER, THE ROTOR RPM CONTINUED TO DROP. THE PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE TO REGAIN MAIN ROTOR RPM BUT DUE TO THE LOW ALTITUDE THE HELICOPTER DESCENDED INTO THE WATER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT A TAIL WIND EXISTED WHEN THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED THE LOSS OF MAIN ROTOR RPM. THE WINDS AT THE LOCAL AIRPORT LOCATED 1.5 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE WERE REPORTED TO BE FROM 110 DEGREES AT 12 KNOTS GUSTING TO 29 KNOTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT HAD ACCRUED 75 HOURS IN HELICOPTERS OF WHICH 40 HOURS WERE IN THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER MAKE AND MODEL AND 30 HOURS WERE AS PILOT IN COMMAND.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ROTOR RPM DURING DOWNWIND FLIGHT AND ADEQUATE ALTITUDE TO RECOVER THE LOSS OF MAIN ROTOR RPM BEFORE SETTLING INTO THE WATER. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF ROTORCRAFT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/7/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1252 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | KAHULUI |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96732 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1153 Hawaii Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OGG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 53 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | HST |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 110 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 29 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 643 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 7 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1620 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 48040 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9566F |
| NTSB Number | LAX93LA063 |
| 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 | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | 269B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 269B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 210458 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1670 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MAUI WING AND ROTOR |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | KAHULUI AIRPORT |
| Aircraft Owner City | KAHULUI |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96732 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | MAUI WING AND ROTOR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | KAHULUI AIRPORT |
| Operator City | KAHULUI |
| Operator State | HI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 96732 |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| 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 | Hover |
| 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 | -- |