20111110027549A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Eurocopter EC 130 B4 · Pukoo, HI · November 10, 2011

Date: November 10, 2011 · 12:14 local
Place: Pukoo, HI
Airport: Kahalui
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: HCMA
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N11QV
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR12MA034
Reported as: Eurocopter EC 130 B4
Reported engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B1
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 5
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,861 total306 in this make and model195 in the last 90 days

N11QVRegistration cancelled Oct 3, 2012 · Eurocopter EC 130 B4S/N 4909 · Built 2010 Airframe modelEurocopter EC 130 B4 Engine modelTurbomeca ARRIEL-2B1Turbo-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.

Wreckage pattern is consistant with a tail strike (cfit) as tailboom components and the fenestron were located a few hundread feet before the main wreckage. During the initial impact it is believed that the pilot side windshield shattered. An in flight break up appears to have resulted after the initial impact and the aircraft experienced a reduction of tail down force and forward CG shift.

As the FAA filed it

WRECKAGE PATTERN IS CONSISTANT WITH A TAIL STRIKE (CFIT) AS TAILBOOM COMPONENTS AND THE FENESTRON WERE LOCATED A FEW HUNDREAD FEET BEFORE THE MAIN WRECKAGE. DURING THE INITIAL IMPACT IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE PILOT SIDE WINDSHIELD SHATTERED. AN IN FLIGHT BREAK UP APPEARS TO HAVE RESULTED AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT AND THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION OF TAIL DOWN FORCE AND FORWARD CG SHIFT.

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 WPR12MA034Accident · 5 fatalMajor investigationFinal reportPukoo, HIThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from mountainous terrain while operating in marginal weather conditions, which resulted in the impact of the horizontal stabilizer and lower forward portion of the fenestron with ground and/or vegetation and led to…Nov 10, 2011 · Substantial damage