Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Waialeale,Kauai, Hawaii 96766
Wednesday, July 23, 2003 8:52 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The Title 14, CFR part 135 helicopter air tour flight was entering a mountainous crater. A passenger's videotape showed that the flight was initially performed in visual meteorological conditions, but as the helicopter approached the crater's 5,000-foot msl rim, its proximity to the clouds decreased, and the videotape ended. The videotape showed that the clouds were both above and below the helicopter. Recorded radar data, which ended about the time of the crash, showed that during the final few seconds of flight, the pilot maneuvered over the area, and its ground speed decreased from about 100 to 5 knots. Within the last 14 seconds of flight a descent was initiated, which increased in vertical speed to 2,000 feet per minute. The helicopter collided with the interior wall of the crater, and tumbled down slope, destroying the helicopter. Based upon flight path, terrain gradient and structural damage signatures, NTSB calculations indicated that the helicopter initially contacted the mountainside with a skid while descending in at least a 45-degree nose low pitch attitude. The engine and airframe wreckage were recovered, and no evidence of a mechanical malfunction was found.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance/altitude while descending over mountainous terrain, and his continued flight into adverse weather. Factors contributing to the accident were clouds and a low ceiling.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/23/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 852 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | Waialeale,Kauai |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96766 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 220413N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1592942W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 853 Hawaii Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 113 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LIH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 153 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | HST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.04 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 5 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 5 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 22037 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 23 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1528 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 14 2007 2:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | AAI-100 Washington, D.C. 20591 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N37741 |
| NTSB Number | LAX03FA241 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bell |
| Aircraft Model | 206B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1695 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3200 |
| 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 | Jul 1 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 39 |
| Airframe Hours | 18170 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | -- |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | -- |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Jack Harter Helicopters, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. Box 306 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lihue, Kauai |
| Aircraft Owner State | HI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 96766 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | DCGA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | LIH |
| Departure City | Lihue, Kauai |
| Departure State | HI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 803 |
| 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 | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 3 2007 2:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |