Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Monday, October 14, 1991 10:25 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE HELICOPTER WAS HOVERING NEAR THE EDGE OF THE VOLCANICALLY ACTIVE CRATER AT 15 TO 20 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE HELICOPTER WAS HOVERING DOWNWIND OF THE VENT. SEVERAL LOUD POPPING SOUNDS WERE HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THE PILOT SENSED A LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT AUTO ROTATED TO A DOWN SLOPE HARD LANDING AND THE MAIN ROTOR CONTACTED THE TAIL BOOM. AFTER RECOVERY FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED WHILE STILL IN PLACE IN THE HELICOPTER. FUEL SAMPLES WERE REMOVED FROM THE TANK AND SUMP, AND FOUND TO BE CLEAR. ALL PC AIR LINES WERE PRESSURE CHECKED, WITH A SMALL LEAK DETECTED ON THE INLET SIDE OF THE PC FILTER. THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND TEST RUN IN THE AIRFRAME UP TO 72% N1, WITH NO ADVERSE FINDINGS. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE HELICOPTER AND SHIPPED TO THE LYCOMING FACTORY WHERE IT WAS INSTALLED IN A TEST CELL. THE ENGINE WAS RUN FOR 50 MINUTES, TO INCLUDE AN ACCELERATION TEST. THE ENGINE DEVELOPED AND SUSTAINED FULL POWER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AEROSPATIALLE AS-350D AIRFRAME APPLICATION. NO MALFUNCTIONS OR DEFECTS WERE NOTED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
1) A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO THE INGESTION OF GASSES FROM THE ACTIVE VOLCANO VENT, AND 2) THE PILOTS INFLIGHT DECISION TO HOVER DOWNWIND IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE VENT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/14/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1025 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | HILO |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96720 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| 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 | Pilot |
| 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 | 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) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 185 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| 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 | 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) | 1670 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45547 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:48AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N35961 |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA014 |
| 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 | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROSPATIALE |
| Aircraft Model | AS-350D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AS-350D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1113 |
| 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 | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 27 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 57 |
| Airframe Hours | 5292 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ELLING, HALVORSON |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 12515 WILLOWS RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | KIRKLAND |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98034 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | PAPILLON HAWALLIAN HEL. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 339 |
| Operator City | HANALEI |
| Operator State | HI |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 96714 |
| Operator Code | ILNA |
| 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 | HI07 |
| Departure City | WAIKOLOA |
| Departure State | HI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 940 |
| Departure Time Zone | HST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| 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 | -- |