# Accident 20050121017819A: Hughes 369E, Pahoa, HI, January 21, 2005

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 21, 2005, 15:30 local time
- Place: Pahoa, HI
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: K2DA
- Location: 19.4900° N, 154.9401° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=19.4900&lon=-154.9401&mi=10
- Aircraft: N142MK (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: HUGHES 369E
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 8,998 total, 3,855 in this make and model, 189 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX05LA074](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA074) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050121017819A

## Narrative

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

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED TAIL ROTOR VIBRATION DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. DURING THE APPROACH TO AN OPEN FIELD THE VIBRATION INCREASED TO AN UNACCEPTABLE LEVEL WHEN POWER WAS APPLIED. THE PILOT THEN COMMITTED TO AN AUTOROTATION WHICH RESULTED IN LANDING SHORT OF THE OPEN FIELD. BETWEEN THE FLARE POINT AND TOUCHDOWN THE TAIL ROTOR IMPACTED SMALL SHRUBS OR TREES AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS ALSO DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHEN A SMALL TREE BRANCH PENETRATED THE COMPARTMENT UPON TOUCHDOWN.

## 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 LAX05LA074](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA074), Jan 22, 2005: Mdhi 369E (N142MK), Pahoa, HI, substantial damage. Probable cause: the in-flight separation of the tail rotor blade abrasion strip due to a degraded adhesive bond and fatigue fracture of the metallic abrasion strip. The ultimate cause for the degraded bond is…

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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