# Accident 20040715013199A: Hughes 369FF, Lihue, HI, July 15, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 15, 2004, 15:55 local time
- Place: Lihue, HI
- Airport: Lihue Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: FNHL
- Location: 21.9758° N, 159.3389° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=21.9758&lon=-159.3389&mi=10
- Aircraft: N530RL, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N530RL) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mcdonnell Douglas Heli 369FF (registry code 3027371, https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-heli-369ff) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison 250-C30 series (registry code 03015, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-250-c30-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES 369FF
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,600 total, 1,200 in this make and model, 300 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX04CA268](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04CA268) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040715013199A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX04CA268](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04CA268), Jul 16, 2004: McDonnell Douglas 369FF (N530RL), Lihue, HI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The 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…

## Other reports on N530RL (1)

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

- [Accident 20110131003209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110131003209A), Jan 31, 2011: Mcdonnell D 369FF (N530RL), Avra Valley, AZ, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Aircraft 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…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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