# Accident 20140913019729A: Eurocopter AS 350 B2, Kahului, HI, September 13, 2014

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 13, 2014, 14:00 local time
- Place: Kahului, HI
- Airport: Kahului Int'L Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: I2WA
- Location: 20.8883° N, 156.4336° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=20.8883&lon=-156.4336&mi=10
- Aircraft: N197BH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N197BH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter AS 350 B2 (registry code 8680950, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-as-350-b2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL-1SER (registry code 60030, https://openairdocs.org/engine/turbomeca-arriel-1ser) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER AS 350 B2
- Reported engine: TURBOMECA ARRIEL 1SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 19,618 total, 11,343 in this make and model, 157 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR14CA375](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14CA375) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140913019729A

## Narrative

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

PERSONNEL WERE CONDUCTING A SERIES OF MAINTENANCE FLIGHTS TO TRACK AND BALANCE THE MAIN ROTOR. THE PILOT COMPLETED SEVERAL FLIGHTS AND START UPS BEFORE THE MECHANIC FELT THAT THE NEXT START WOULD BE BETTER ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A GROUND POWER UNIT (GPU).  THE PILOT BROUGHT THE GOLF CART/GPU TO THE AIRCRAFT AND THE MECHANIC CONNECTED THE GPU TO THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE NEXT START.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS STARTED BY THE PILOT, THE MECHANIC THEN DISCONNECTED THE GPU, CLIMBED IN THE AIRCRAFT AND STRAPPED HIMSELF IN THE COPILOT SEAT.  THE PILOT ASKED THE HELIPAD CREW LOCATED NEAR THE HANGAR, WHICH WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT, IF THE SURROUNDING AREA OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEAR.  HE OBTAINED CONFIRMATION FROM HIM AND LIFTED OFF TO A HOVER WITHOUT BEING AWARE THE LOCATION OF THE GOLF CART/GPU.  THE AIRCRAFT MOVED SLIGHTLY FORWARD WITH A SLIGHT PEDAL TURN TO THE LEFT. THE TAIL ROTOR IMPACTED THE CART. THE PILOT FELT A VIBRATION AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 7 FEET FROM THE INITIAL TAKEOFF POINT AND SHUTDOWN.  AS RESULT OF THE COLLISION, THE  AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL ROTOR, TAIL BOOM, AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER.

## 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 WPR14CA375](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14CA375), Sep 14, 2014: Eurocopter AS 350 B2 (N197BH), Kahului, Maui, HI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the cart while hovering. Contributing to the accident was the failure of ground personnel to remove the cart from the helipad.

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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