# Accident 20131029022699A: Eurocopter France AS 350 B3, Kailua Kona, HI, October 29, 2013

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 29, 2013, 17:10 local time
- Place: Kailua Kona, HI
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: 7AJA
- Location: 19.7283° N, 156.0439° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=19.7283&lon=-156.0439&mi=10
- Aircraft: N985EW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N985EW-2018-01-10) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter France AS 350 B3 (registry code 8680963, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-france-as-350-b3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-2B (registry code 60037, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-2b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER FRANCE AS 350 B3
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIEL 2B
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 15,500 total, 1,500 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR14LA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14LA038) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20131029022699A

## Narrative

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

ON OCTOBER 29, 2013, ABOUT 1710 HAWAII STANDARD TIME, A EUROCOPTER AS350 B3 HELICOPTER, N985EW, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A HARD LANDING AT THE KAILUA KONA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

IN WRITTEN STATEMENTS PROVIDED BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND CO-PILOT, THEY WERE CONDUCTING FADEC GOVERNOR FAILURE TRAINING, USING MANUAL THROTTLE CONTROL AND BY POSITIONING THE AUTO/MANUAL SWITCH TO MANUAL POSITION.

AFTER PERFORMING A NORMAL START AND RUN-UP, THEY REPOSITIONED TO THE INTERSECTION OF TAXIWAYS L AND A WITH THE FADEC IN THE AUTO MODE AND LANDED THE HELICOPTER NORMALLY. THE PILOTS ONCE AGAIN BRIEFED ON THE MANUAL THROTTLE MANEUVER AND THAT MANUAL THROTTLE WOULD BE NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM. WHILE ON THE GROUND WITH THE ENGINE AT THE FLIGHT SETTING AND NO COLLECTIVE PITCH APPLIED THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PILOT POSITIONED THE AUTO/MANUAL SWITCH TO THE MANUAL POSITION, THE CO-PILOT THEN PERFORMED SOME HOVERING MANEUVERS USING MANUAL THROTTLE. AFTER PERFORMING THESE HOVERING MANEUVERS, AND WHILE STILL IN HOVER MODE, THEY PERFORMED A NORMAL TAKE OFF USING MANUAL THROTTLE.

THE TAKEOFF WAS A CLOSED LEFT TRAFFIC PATTERN BACK TO THE TAXIWAY A. AT APPROXIMATELY 700? AGL, THEY BEGAN A DESCENDING LEFT TURN TO LINE UP WITH THE TAXIWAY. THE CO-PILOT THEN REMEMBERS A RADIO ALTIMETER CALL OUT OF 400? AGL, SHORTLY AFTER BOTH PILOTS NOTICED THE ROTOR RPM DECREASING WITH NO CHANGE IN COLLECTIVE OR THROTTLE, THE CO-PILOT TRIED TO INCREASE THE ROTOR RPM BY INCREASING THE THROTTLE BUT WITH NO SUCCESS. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AT THIS TIME ALSO TRIED TO ASSIST IN INCREASING THE ROTOR RPM BY ASSISTING WITH THE THROTTLE BUT NOTED THE THROTTLE WAS FULL OPEN.

AT SOME POINT DURING THIS DESCENT THE CO-PILOT HEARD THE LOW ROTOR RPM AUDIO, BOTH PILOTS BOTH ATTEMPTED TO CONSERVE ROTOR RPM BY LOWERING THE COLLECTIVE WITH NO SUCCESS, AND AT THIS POINT THEY TRIED TO CUSHION THE LANDING BY ADJUSTING THE COLLECTIVE TO FULL UP AND LAND AS FLAT AS POSSIBLE. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND AND SLID FORWARD ON THE TAXIWAY.

THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED; THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE.

## 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 WPR14LA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14LA038), Oct 30, 2013: Eurocopter France AS 350 (N985EW), Kailua Kona, HI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot receiving instruction’s failure to maintain main rotor rpm while practicing manual throttle control and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.

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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