Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Saipan
Monday, March 20, 1989 13:30 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE NEWLY PURCHASED HELICOPTER WAS TRANSPORTED TO SAIPAN BY SHIP IN A CONTAINER. AFTER UNLOADING, THE PILOT, A MECHANIC AND A MECHANIC'S HELPER REASSEMBLED IT ON THE DOCK. THE HELPER WAS SENT TO BUY SOME FUEL FOR THE HELICOPTER, SO IT COULD BE FLOWN FROM THE DOCK TO THE COMPANY BASE AT THE AIRPORT. THE COMPANY HAD BEEN OPERATING TURBINE POWERED HELICOPTERS ONLY; THIS WAS ITS FIRST PISTON POWERED MODEL. THE HELPER WENT TO THE FUEL FACILITY AND BOUGHT 10 GALLONS OF JET-A FUEL, WHICH HE USED TO SERVICE THE HELICOPTER. THE PILOT STARTED THE HELICOPTER, DID A RUN-UP AND TOOK OFF FOR A 3 MILE FLIGHT TO THE AIRPORT. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT MADE AN AUTOROTATION TO A SUBMERGED REEF IN ABOUT 3 TO 4 FEET OF WATER.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO ASSURE THE HELICOPTER WAS SERVICED WITH THE PROPER GRADE OF FUEL. A FACTOR REALATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE LACK OF A SUITABLE LANDING AREA, WHICH RESULTED IN HAVING TO DITCH THE HELICOPTER IN THE WATER.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/20/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1330 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | SAIPAN |
| Event State | -- |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96950 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| 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 | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1355 Hawaii Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 35 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PGSN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 155 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | HST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| 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) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 590 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1177 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 20 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1930 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39328 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 19 2003 12:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7470F |
| NTSB Number | LAX89LA129 |
| 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 | HUGHES |
| Aircraft Model | 269C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 269C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 170553 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PACIFIC ISLAND AVIATION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PPP 318 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAIPAN |
| Aircraft Owner State | PO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96950 |
| 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) | Ferry |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1325 |
| 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 | Landing |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |