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20040715013199A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Hughes 369FF · Lihue, HI · July 15, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 15, 2004 · 15:55 local
Place
Lihue, HI
Airport
Lihue Airport
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
Operator
FNHL
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N530RL
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX04CA268
Reported as
Hughes 369FF
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,600 total1,200 in this make and model300 in the last 90 days
N530RLRegistered now · Mcdonnell Douglas Heli 369FFS/N 0602FFAirframe modelMcdonnell Douglas Heli 369FFEngine modelAllison 250-C30 seriesTurbo-shaft

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.

(-23) The pilot was dropping approximately the 60th bucket of water on a fire adjacent to the Lihue (lih) airport. As he approached the intended drop point parallel to a tree line, into the wind with a slow forward airspeed, he activated the water release. Simultaneously along with the water release he heard and felt the aircraft impact trees. Severe vibrations ensued and the aircraft impacted the ground on an embankment with the aircraft rolling onto the right side, engine still running. Post crash examination showed that the main rotor blades came into contact with trees.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT WAS DROPPING APPROXIMATELY THE 60TH BUCKET OF WATER ON A FIRE ADJACENT TO THE LIHUE (LIH) AIRPORT. AS HE APPROACHED THE INTENDED DROP POINT PARALLEL TO A TREE LINE, INTO THE WIND WITH A SLOW FORWARD AIRSPEED, HE ACTIVATED THE WATER RELEASE. SIMULTANEOUSLY ALONG WITH THE WATER RELEASE HE HEARD AND FELT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT TREES. SEVERE VIBRATIONS ENSUED AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND ON AN EMBANKMENT WITH THE AIRCRAFT ROLLING ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE, ENGINE STILL RUNNING. POST CRASH EXAMINATION SHOWED THAT THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CAME INTO CONTACT WITH TREES.

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 LAX04CA268Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportLihue, HIThe pilot misjudging the clearance between the tree and the main rotor blades. Contributing factors to the accident were the high workload of the pilot and his lack of experience with bambi bucket operations.Jul 16, 2004 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N530RL · 1

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

Accident 20110131003209ALanding: Touchdown · Avra Valley, AZAircraft crashed while landing on a pinnacle to drop off personnel to assess site for a new antenna location. Arrived at base of peak of scene of accident and made contact with local law enforcement (pima county sheriffs department, pcsd). Weather and…Jan 31, 2011 · Destroyed · 1 fatal