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19960708016112A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Mooney M20J · Honolulu, HI · July 8, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 8, 1996 · 16:04 local
Place
Honolulu, HI
Phase of flight
Formation Flying
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision, second aircraft
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5801N
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX96LA267
Reported as
Mooney M20J
Reported engine
Lycoming IO360A3B6
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,000 total
N5801NRegistered now · Mooney M20JS/N 24-1606Airframe modelMooney M20J

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4)The Hughes helicopter, N64MK, and the Mooney airplane, N5801N, had departed on a formation flight to film a movie. Cameramen were in both aircraft, and an actress was in the Mooney's right front seat. By prior arrangements, the Mooney was the lead aircraft and was flown by its left seated airline transport pilot. A commercial certificated pilot was flying the Hughes, also from the left seat. The pilots were in radio contact with each other. Videotape taken from both aircraft was reviewed. While cruising past diamond head at 100 knots and 1,000 feet above sea level, the Hughes decreased its distance from the Mooney's right wing, joined up in a tight side-by-side formation, and at times was several feet higher, lower, in front of, and behind the Mooney. The Mooney pilot reported that she observed the Hughes. Seconds prior to the hughes' main rotor blades impacting and severing the outer 3 feet of the Mooney's right wing, the Mooney pilot diverted her attention away from the Hughes. The Mooney pilot looked outside her left windshield and pointed out to the actress the presence of a shoreline hotel. After the collision, the Mooney landed without further mishap. The Hughes autorotated into the ocean and sank.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)THE HUGHES HELICOPTER, N64MK, AND THE MOONEY AIRPLANE, N5801N, HAD DEPARTED ON A FORMATION FLIGHT TO FILM A MOVIE. CAMERAMEN WERE IN BOTH AIRCRAFT, AND AN ACTRESS WAS IN THE MOONEY'S RIGHT FRONT SEAT. BY PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS, THE MOONEY WAS THE LEAD AIRCRAFT AND WAS FLOWN BY ITS LEFT SEATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT. A COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS FLYING THE HUGHES, ALSO FROM THE LEFT SEAT. THE PILOTS WERE IN RADIO CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER. VIDEOTAPE TAKEN FROM BOTH AIRCRAFT WAS REVIEWED. WHILE CRUISING PAST DIAMOND HEAD AT 100 KNOTS AND 1,000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL, THE HUGHES DECREASED ITS DISTANCE FROM THE MOONEY'S RIGHT WING, JOINED UP IN A TIGHT SIDE-BY-SIDE FORMATION, AND AT TIMES WAS SEVERAL FEET HIGHER, LOWER, IN FRONT OF, AND BEHIND THE MOONEY. THE MOONEY PILOT REPORTED THAT SHE OBSERVED THE HUGHES. SECONDS PRIOR TO THE HUGHES' MAIN ROTOR BLADES IMPACTING AND SEVERING THE OUTER 3 FEET OF THE MOONEY'S RIGHT WING, THE MOONEY PILOT DIVERTED HER ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE HUGHES. THE MOONEY PILOT LOOKED OUTSIDE HER LEFT WINDSHIELD AND POINTED OUT TO THE ACTRESS THE PRESENCE OF A SHORELINE HOTEL. AFTER THE COLLISION, THE MOONEY LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER MISHAP. THE HUGHES AUTOROTATED INTO THE OCEAN AND SANK.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX96LA267Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHonolulu, HIthe failure of both pilots to maintain an adequate clearance from each other while in formation flight.Jul 9, 1996 · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N64MKHughes 369DAccident 19960708016111A · Destroyed

Other reports on N5801N · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19940306009719ITouch And Go Landing · Hawi, HIPilot made a hard landing while practicing touch and go landings.Mar 6, 1994 · Minor damage