OpenAirDocs.org

20050923026359A

Accident · Destroyed
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Snias AS350BA · Haena, HI · September 23, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
September 23, 2005 · 00:15 local
Place
Haena, HI
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
S9HA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N355NT
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA05MA199
Reported as
Snias AS350BA
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
3
Pilot’s flight hours
2,492 total197 in this make and model177 in the last 90 days
N355NTRegistration cancelled Jan 18, 2018 · Aerospatiale AS350BAS/N 2053Airframe modelAerospatiale AS350BA

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) Pilot elected to continue VFR flight into IMC. Passengers and pilot reported flying into a wall of water. Passengers reported that at one point they could not see anything. Radar data shows and pilot reported that he began to slow aircraft. Radar shows 10 knots at 2,000 feet. Pilot and passengers report he made approximately a 160 degree turn. Pilot and passengers reported that aircraft suddenly dropped. Pilot reported pulling in a lot of collective. Given the storm cell and prevailing trade winds, aircraft appears to have entered settling with power. Pilot and passengers reported aircraft slowed as it approached the water. Aircraft impacted the water, lost its tail rotor, bounced back up and began spinning left. Pilot put out 15 mayday calls and began to brief passengers to evacuate. Aircraft settled back to the water and one severe impact as main rotor blade hit the water was reported by passenger. Aircraft sank instantly. Pilot and two passengers successfully evacuated aircraft. Life preservers functioned normally. One passenger eventually made it to the surface, but had inhaled water and did not survive. Survivors swam to shore. Company aircraft attempted to search for accident aircraft as well as navy.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC. PASSENGERS AND PILOT REPORTED FLYING INTO A WALL OF WATER. PASSENGERS REPORTED THAT AT ONE POINT THEY COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING. RADAR DATA SHOWS AND PILOT REPORTED THAT HE BEGAN TO SLOW AIRCRAFT. RADAR SHOWS 10 KNOTS AT 2,000 FEET. PILOT AND PASSENGERS REPORT HE MADE APPROXIMATELY A 160 DEGREE TURN. PILOT AND PASSENGERS REPORTED THAT AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY DROPPED. PILOT REPORTED PULLING IN A LOT OF COLLECTIVE. GIVEN THE STORM CELL AND PREVAILING TRADE WINDS, AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE ENTERED SETTLING WITH POWER. PILOT AND PASSENGERS REPORTED AIRCRAFT SLOWED AS IT APPROACHED THE WATER. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE WATER, LOST ITS TAIL ROTOR, BOUNCED BACK UP AND BEGAN SPINNING LEFT. PILOT PUT OUT 15 MAYDAY CALLS AND BEGAN TO BRIEF PASSENGERS TO EVACUATE. AIRCRAFT SETTLED BACK TO THE WATER AND ONE SEVERE IMPACT AS MAIN ROTOR BLADE HIT THE WATER WAS REPORTED BY PASSENGER. AIRCRAFT SANK INSTANTLY. PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS SUCCESSFULLY EVACUATED AIRCRAFT. LIFE PRESERVERS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. ONE PASSENGER EVENTUALLY MADE IT TO THE SURFACE, BUT HAD INHALED WATER AND DID NOT SURVIVE. SURVIVORS SWAM TO SHORE. COMPANY AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO SEARCH FOR ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT AS WELL AS NAVY.

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 SEA05MA199Accident · 3 fatalClass 1 · MajorFinal reportHaena, HIThe pilot's decision to continue flight into adverse weather conditions, which resulted in a loss of control due to an encounter with a microburst. Contributing to the accident was inadequate Federal Aviation Administration surveillance of Special Federal…Sep 24, 2005 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N355NT · 1

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

Accident 20001207021529APinnacle Landing · Las Vegas, NV(-23) While performing a pinnacle approach procedure into an unimproved site, the right front portion of the helicopters skid collided with a large rock. This occurred while some forward flight was still in progress; subsequently causing a buckeling force,…Dec 7, 2000 · Substantial damage