20010929028619A

(.19) On September 29, 2001, at 1423 hours hawaiian standard time, a Bell 206B, N206KS, operating with the call sign shaka 67, experienced a loss of engine power and made a forced landing about 5 miles south of Hilo, Hawaii. K&s helicopters, inc., was operating the on-demand for hire sightseeing flight under the provisions of 14 CFR part 135 of the federal aviation regulations. The commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured; however, the remaining two passengers sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was destroyed in the collision sequence and postcrash fire. The local flight departed Hilo about 1420. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company VFR flight plan had been filed. The primary wreckage was at 19 degrees 38.425 minutes north latitude and 152 degrees 02.088 minutes west longitude. The federal aviation administration (FAA) accident coordinator interviewed the pilot and examined the wreckage on scene. The pilot reported that she heard a bang followed by illumination of the engine out warning light, and the engine began smoking. She performed an autorotation and landed in high grass. She and the passengers evacuated the helicopter, and then the helicopter caught fire. The accident coordinator observed that the tail boom was separated from the fuselage at a point just aft of the baggage compartment. The rearmost portion of the tail boom aft of the horizontal stabilizer was separated from the forward portion and was located within 10 feet of the main wreckage; the middle section was about 50 yards away. Visual external examination of the thermally damaged engine disclosed that a turbine wheel was missing. Review of the maintenance records disclosed that company maintenance personnel changed a turbine wheel on September 1, 2001, and the turbine seal on the morning of the accident. The helicopter had flown about 50 hours since the turbine wheel had been changed. After maintenance personnel replaced the seal, the helicopter had been flown on a test flight, a ferry flight, and one tour flight prior to the accident flight. (-23) the aircraft departed ito on a tour flight. This was the fourth flight of the day. The previous flights consisted of a maintenance test flight, ferry flight from koa to ito, and one tour flight. The aircraft engine was returned to service that am for repairs on the turbine for high oil consump tion and smoking. The engine sustained an uncontained failure of the #1 turbine wheel, which resulted in loss of power and an in-flight fire which consumed the aircraft after an off airport landing in a grassy field. The pilot was unable to determine that the grass was six to seven feet tall which resulted in a hard landing, cutting off the tail boom. The pilot evacuated the passengers to a safe area away from the fire. Two passengers received some burns from melting plastic.