Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Volcano, Hawaii 96720
Saturday, August 19, 1989 9:10 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE VFR SIGHT-SEEING FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNER 14 CFR 135. WHILE DESCENDING INTO A MOUNTAINOUS AREA THE PILOT FELT A SEVERE VIBRATION ABT 10 - 15 SECONDS BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILED. THE PLT EXECUTED AN AUTOROTATION IN THE UPWARD SLOPING TERRAIN AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED-OVER ON TOUCHDOWN. THE ENGINE EXAM DSCLSD THAT THE POWER TURBINE SHAFT AND THE NOS. 2 & 3 BEARINGS FAILED DUE TO OIL STARVATION AND DISPLAYED EXTREME HIGH TEMPERATURE DISTRESS. THE CHIP DETECTOR O-RING SEAL WAS EXCESSIVELY WORN. OIL RESIDUE STREAKING WAS FOUND ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE/ TAILCONE ASSY AND THE VERTICAL/HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE POWER TURBINE SHAFT AND BEARINGS. THE FAILURE WAS A RESULT OF OIL STARVATION DUE TO AN EXCESSIVELY WORN CHIP DETECTOR O-RING SEAL,INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND PREFLIGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR(S) WAS: THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/19/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 910 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | VOLCANO |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96720 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| 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) | -- |
| 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 | 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 | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 5 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 6 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1652 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 19 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1530 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40557 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:58PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N35970 |
| NTSB Number | LAX89LA281 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AEROSPATIALE |
| Aircraft Model | AS350D |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | AS350D |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1131 |
| 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 8 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 68 |
| Airframe Hours | 8833 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PAPILLON HAWAIIAN HELC., LTD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 339 |
| Aircraft Owner City | HANALEI |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96714 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | PAPILLON HELICOPTERS, LTD |
| 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/Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | WAIKOLOA |
| Departure State | HI |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 840 |
| 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 | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |