Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lihue, Hawaii 96766
Saturday, June 4, 1988 12:00 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN NORMAL CRUISE FLIGHT WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NO LONGER DRIVING THE ROTOR SYSTEM. THE PILOT ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION AND HAD TO STRETCH THE GLIDE SLIGHTLY TO A SUITABLE LANDING AREA ON AN OFF SHORE REEF. THE HELICOPTER MADE A HARD LANDING ON THE REEF IN ABOUT ONE FOOT OF WATER. ON SITE EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER BY FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS REVEALED THAT THE BENDIX COUPLING ON THE ENGINE TO TRANSMISSION SHAFT HAD RUPTURED ON THE ENGINE END OF THE SHAFT. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FAILED COUPLING REVEALED A FATIGUE FRACTURE IN A CIRCUMFERENTIAL ORIENTATION ON THE COUPLING DISK. THE DRIVE SHAFT COUPLINGS ARE THE SUBJECT OF A RECURRING AD WHICH MANDATES ALIGNMENT MEASUREMENTS OF THE DRIVE SHAFT EVERY 100 HOURS. THE LAST ALIGNMENT CHECK WAS DONE ABOUT 60 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE TO TRANSMISSION DRIVE SHAFT ENGINE COUPLING DUE TO AN ANGULAR MISALIGNMENT OF THE DRIVE SHAFT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/4/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1200 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | LIHUE |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96766 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| 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 | 0 |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| 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 | 5 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2477 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 4 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1708 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39637 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 11:50AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N53EP |
| NTSB Number | LAX88LA212 |
| 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 | Fairchild Hiller |
| Aircraft Model | FH-1100 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | FH-1100 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 182 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2850 |
| 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 | May 13 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 62 |
| Airframe Hours | 2023 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PRESTON S. MYERS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 1941 |
| Aircraft Owner City | LIHUE |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96746 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | LIH |
| Departure City | LIHUE |
| Departure State | HI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1156 |
| Departure Time Zone | HST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | LIH |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 22 2001 3:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |