Ala Wai Heliport Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
Sunday, February 8, 1987 15:30 HST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG TKOF CLB, A LOUD NOISE OCCURRED AS 1 OF 5 MAIN ROTORS (MRB'S) & THE TAIL BOOM SEPD FM THE HELICOPTER (HEL). THE HEL THEN CRASHED & HIT A SUBMERGED REEF APRX 200' FM THE HELIPORT. AN EXAM OF THE FAILED MRB SHOWED ITS RETENTION STRAP ASSY(RSA), PN 369D21210-501, FAILED FM FATIGUE IN AN AREA OF CORROSION; 11 OF THE MRB'S 16 STRAP LAMINATES HAD PREEXISTING CRACKS. CORROSION WAS FND ON 78 OF 80 LAMINATES. THE MAINT HNDBK REQD THE RSA'S BE INSPECTED AT 25, 100 & 600 HR INTER- VALS. SVC INFO NOTICE (SIN) DN-77.1 RDMDD A 300 HR INSPN IF ANY CRACK OR LAMINATE FAILURE WAS FND DRG A 100 HR INSPN. AD'S 77-15-09R1 & 81-10-08 REQD INSPN W/I (BUT NOT OUTBRD OF) THE PITCH HOUSING. DRG 100 HR/AD INSPNS AFTER 1768 & 1839 HRS OF OPN, UP TO 3 CRACKS WERE FND IN LAMINATE LEGS, BUT THEIR LCTNS WERE NOT DOCUMENTED FOR LTR INSPN. HOWEVER, DRG 2 SUBSEQUENT 100 HR INSPNS BY ANOTHER MECH, NO CRACKED LAMINATES WERE NOTED. THE HEL HAD 2135 HRS OF OPN WHEN THE ACDNT OCCURRED. SVC INFO LTR DL-54 RCMDD A TRI-FLOW WASH PROC AFTER THE LAST FLT OF EACH DAY WHEN OPNG IN A MARINE ENVIRONMENT

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 2/8/1987
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1530
Event Time Zone Hawaii Standard Time
Event City HONOLULU
Event State HAWAII
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 96815
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 2
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport ALA WAI HELIPORT
Event Location Nearest Airport ID Z06
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 1555 Hawaii Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 278
Weather Observation Facility ID HNL
Elevation of weather observation facility 13
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 6
Time Zone of the weather observation HST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3000
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) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 220
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 5
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2351
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Feb 8 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1820
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 36234
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 1:44PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1102U
NTSB Number LAX87FA112
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed Company VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name HUGHES
Aircraft Model 369D
Aircraft Series Identifier 369D
Aircraft Serial Number 100820D
Certified Max Gross Weight 3550
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 Jan 13 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 94
Airframe Hours 2135
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ROYAL HELICOPTER INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P. O. BOX 29531
Aircraft Owner City HONOLULU
Aircraft Owner State HI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 96826
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 DCNA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation External Load
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1530
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 Takeoff
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 --