19990824013429A

Sunshine helicopters air taxi (1993 aerospatiale AS-350 ba helicopter) landed hard and sustained substantial damage, no injuries were reported to the pilot and 4 pax, other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on August 24, 1999, at 1220 hours hawaiian standard time, an aerospatiale AS350BA helicopter, N6094S, landed hard following an approach to a landing near the mendez ranch, maui, Hawaii. The helicopter, operated by sunshine helicopters, sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot and his four passengers were not injured. The helicopter was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 135 of the federal aviation regulations, and was on an air taxi flight to drop off the passengers to the ranch when the accident occurred. The helicopter was on a company VFR flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. According to the federal aviation administration (FAA), the flight originated at Kahului Airport at 1205. The pilot told the FAA that he had made his approach downwind due to noise abatement concerns. He attempted to turn the helicopter into the wind, and approximately 75-100 feet AGL began to get into settling with power. The hel icopter continued to descend and according to the pilot, "landed hard." The pilot later told FAA that he "didn't read the winds right." (-23)at about 75-100 feet AGL, the a/c started settling with power on approach to the landing pad at the mendez ranch. The pilot attempted to turn into the wind but had a hard landing. The helicopter bounced up into the air but the pilot realized he had lost directional controls as a result of a broken tail rotor drive shaft from the initial impact. The pilot then lowered the collective and got the a/c on the ground. There were no reported injuries to the 4 passengers or the pilot. (.4) on August 24, 1999, at 1220 hours hawaiian standard time, an aerospatiale AS350BA helicopter, N6094S, landed hard following an approach to a landing near the mendez ranch, maui, Hawaii. The helicopter, operated by sunshine helicopters, sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot and his four passengers were not injured. The helicopter was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 135 of the federal aviation regulations, and was on an air taxi flight to drop off the passengers to the ranch when the ac accident occurred. A company VFR flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight originated at Kahului Airport at 1205. According to the federal aviation administration (FAA) flight standards district office in honolulu, Hawaii, the accident site is approx. 5 miles from the kahulu airport on the 280 degree radial, which would place the accident site west-northwest of the airport. The pilot told safety board investigators that he had made his approach downwind due to noise abatement concerns and set it up wiht left turns in mind. He said he entered his downwind leg from offshore at 1,000 feet MSL and airspeed of 110 knots, and gradually began to descend and slow his airspeed. As he neared the base to final turn point, he noticed that he had misjudged the winds in the area and he found himself "slower and lower than he wanted to be". He said that as he turned final at 75-100 feet AGL, he perceived that he was in a settling with power condition. He said he immediately applied left pedal to turn the helicopter back into the wind, but the helicopter continued to descend, so he applied more collective and heard the low rotor RPM horn come on just before he contacted the ground. The pilot stated that the helicopter "hit hard" and sprang back inot the air. He said he followed the left turning tendency of the helicopter with the cyclic and lowered the collective to get the helicopter back on the ground. The pilot later told FAA inspectors that he "misjudged the winds, and ended up down wind, low and slow". The pilot said that after the accident the winds were out of the east about 25 knots.