20081227856989A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Hughes 369A · Honiara, BP · December 27, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: December 27, 2008 · 09:00 local
Place: Honiara, BP
Phase of flight: Takeoff
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N104BN
Reported as: Hughes 369A
Reported engine: Allison 250
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N104BNRegistration cancelled Oct 25, 2010 · Hughes 369AS/N 591148 · Built 1969 Airframe modelHughes 369A Engine modelAllison 250 seriesTurbo-prop

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) Aircraft lifted off from fishing boat without removing "unapproved rudder pedal lock." Witness stated he observed pilot reaching for something, possible "rudder pedal lock." Aircraft was seen spinning about the vertical axis immediately after takeoff. Aircraft impacted the water shortly after takeoff. The floats attached to the aircraft departed the aircraft on impact with the water. The observer on board the aircraft was able to get free of the aircraft but sustained serious injuries. The aircraft, upon impact with the water, immediately sank. The pilot was never found.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT LIFTED OFF FROM FISHING BOAT WITHOUT REMOVING "UNAPPROVED RUDDER PEDAL LOCK." WITNESS STATED HE OBSERVED PILOT REACHING FOR SOMETHING, POSSIBLE "RUDDER PEDAL LOCK." AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN SPINNING ABOUT THE VERTICAL AXIS IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE WATER SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. THE FLOATS ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT ON IMPACT WITH THE WATER. THE OBSERVER ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABLE TO GET FREE OF THE AIRCRAFT BUT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT, UPON IMPACT WITH THE WATER, IMMEDIATELY SANK. THE PILOT WAS NEVER FOUND.