20011203034369A

(-23) On December 3, 2001, at approximately 13:45 Hawaii standard time, N968YC, a Bell 206 B2 helicopter, operated by schuman aviation company, ltd., crashed on the hills of pearl ridge, aiea, Hawaii while doing contract work for hawaiian electric company. The aircraft was substantially damaged but the pilot and his passengers were not injured. The weather was not a factor in this accident. (.19) on December 3, 2001, about 1656 hours hawaiian standard time, a Bell 206 B-2, N968YC, experienced a dynamic rollover while attempting to load work crew along pearl ridge, near aieia, oahu, Hawaii. The helicopter, owned and operated by makani kai helicopters under the provisions of 14 CFR part 133 as an external load operation, sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot and three work crewmen, who were attempting to board the hovering helicopter, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight had originated at the Honolulu International Airport (hnl), Honolulu, Hawaii, at an unknown time and was scheduled to terminate at hnl. The safety board investigat or interviewed the pilot. The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to repair power lines for hawaiian electric. Prior to the flight a work-planning meeting was held to discuss how to enter and exit the helicopter, as well as where the workers were supposed to sit during these transitions. The pilot stated that the crewmen were instructed to move to the opposite side of the helicopter once they were onboard. The pilot reported that he was at a hover above some high vegetation to pickup the crew and move them to the next site. One crewmen had entered the right side of the helicopter, the second crewmen was on the right skid, and the third crewmen was about 20-feet away from the helicopter. The helicopter began to roll onto its right side. The second crewmen fell off the skid. The pilot stated that he did not know where the crewmen was that fell off the skid and he did not lower the collective to stop the roll. Instead he raised the collective and the helicopter continued to roll onto its right side. The pilot further stated that he noted no engine or flight control problems with the helicopter.