20090105001959A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Snias AS 350 BA · Honolulu, HI · January 5, 2009

Date: January 5, 2009 · 10:20 local
Place: Honolulu, HI
Phase of flight: Landing
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: MKHA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N141MK
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR09FA072
Reported as: Snias AS350BA
Reported engine: HONEYW LT101A6
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 12,704 total6,596 in this make and model181 in the last 90 days

N141MKRegistration cancelled Apr 19, 2018 · Eurocopter AS 350 BAS/N 2424 · Built 1990 Airframe modelEurocopter AS 350 BA Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-1SERTurbo-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 aircraft was slightly above the ridge line and approximately 5 to 7 feet away from the landing zone at the wiliwilinui ridge electronic tower site when the pilot and his passenger reported hearing the engine revving down. The pilot stated that he noticed the power decay just before touchdown. The engine felt and sounded like it was winding down and the rotor RPM was starting to bleed off. As the aircraft was not holding altitude, the pilot reacted and attempted to reach its intended landing site, but touchdown approximately 2 feet below the summit trail on a 45 to 50 degree slope. To avoid sliding down the slope, the pilot had rotated the aircraft to parallel the slope and after touching down, rolled the aircraft onto its right side on the trail where it came to a rest. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but the pilot and passenger exited the aircraft without injuries.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE RIDGE LINE AND APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 7 FEET AWAY FROM THE LANDING ZONE AT THE WILIWILINUI RIDGE ELECTRONIC TOWER SITE WHEN THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE REVVING DOWN. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE NOTICED THE POWER DECAY JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. THE ENGINE FELT AND SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS WINDING DOWN AND THE ROTOR RPM WAS STARTING TO BLEED OFF. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT HOLDING ALTITUDE, THE PILOT REACTED AND ATTEMPTED TO REACH ITS INTENDED LANDING SITE, BUT TOUCHDOWN APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET BELOW THE SUMMIT TRAIL ON A 45 TO 50 DEGREE SLOPE. TO AVOID SLIDING DOWN THE SLOPE, THE PILOT HAD ROTATED THE AIRCRAFT TO PARALLEL THE SLOPE AND AFTER TOUCHING DOWN, ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE ON THE TRAIL WHERE IT CAME TO A REST. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, BUT THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURIES.

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 WPR09FA072Accident · No injuriesField investigationFinal reportHonolulu, HIThe partial loss of engine power during landing for an undetermined reason.Jan 5, 2009 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N141MK · 1

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

Accident 20020707015129AHonolulu, HI(.19) On July 7, 2002, about 1200 hawaiian standard time, a Eurocopter as 350 ba, N141MK, was substantially damaged during a hard landing near Honolulu, Hawaii. The helicopter was operated by schuman aviation, ltd, under 14 CFR part 135. Neither the pilot nor…Jul 7, 2002 · No damage