What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Manuiwa airways, inc., dba volcano helicopters was conducting flight operations under 14 CFR part 135 for the kohala watershed partnership, N311VT had just completed delivery of fence material to the remote job site on kohala mountain (at N20 06.731 and W155 41.158). The helicopter landed on site and two passengers boarded for a return flight to the staging area at the Waimea reservoir area.
Following takeoff and about 30 seconds into forward flight and about 75-100 feet above ground the pilot experienced a moderate aberration in the cyclic flight control, immediately followed by a significant vertical vibration wherein the pilot observed that the main rotor blade track had substantial blade spread. Forward flight was continued for another 5-10 seconds at which time it was determined by the pilot that forward flight was unsafe under the current conditions. There was concern that eventual loss of control of the aircraft would result if flight was extended any further. The aircraft was set down at the first reasonable landing spot in a dense rain forest canopy. The aircraft was shut down immediately and all passengers exited on their own following complete stoppage of all rotating components. No injuries occurred.
An immediate call was made to the fire rescue crew from the Hawaii county fire department, and extrication of all parties were completed within the hour.
Upon inspection of the aircraft by the pilot, it is noted that one main rotor blade suffered some sort of strike. An approximate 8-10 in. Long portion of the tip is missing and the blade is bent aft in certain places. Because the aircraft was set down in unimproved terrain, the tailboom and tail rotor system settled into some small trees. The tail rotor blades suffered damage mostly likely post landing because the pilot had complete tail rotor authority though landing and no vibration was felt. There is also some damage to the vertical stabilizer and the winglet on the end of the horizontal stabilizer which most likely occurred post landing when the tail rotor system struck the trees.
As the FAA filed it
MANUIWA AIRWAYS, INC., DBA VOLCANO HELICOPTERS WAS CONDUCTING FLIGHT OPERATIONS UNDER 14 CFR PART 135 FOR THE KOHALA WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP, N311VT HAD JUST COMPLETED DELIVERY OF FENCE MATERIAL TO THE REMOTE JOB SITE ON KOHALA MOUNTAIN (AT N20 06.731 AND W155 41.158). THE HELICOPTER LANDED ON SITE AND TWO PASSENGERS BOARDED FOR A RETURN FLIGHT TO THE STAGING AREA AT THE WAIMEA RESERVOIR AREA.
FOLLOWING TAKEOFF AND ABOUT 30 SECONDS INTO FORWARD FLIGHT AND ABOUT 75-100 FEET ABOVE GROUND THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A MODERATE ABERRATION IN THE CYCLIC FLIGHT CONTROL, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A SIGNIFICANT VERTICAL VIBRATION WHEREIN THE PILOT OBSERVED THAT THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TRACK HAD SUBSTANTIAL BLADE SPREAD. FORWARD FLIGHT WAS CONTINUED FOR ANOTHER 5-10 SECONDS AT WHICH TIME IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE PILOT THAT FORWARD FLIGHT WAS UNSAFE UNDER THE CURRENT CONDITIONS. THERE WAS CONCERN THAT EVENTUAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WOULD RESULT IF FLIGHT WAS EXTENDED ANY FURTHER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SET DOWN AT THE FIRST REASONABLE LANDING SPOT IN A DENSE RAIN FOREST CANOPY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY AND ALL PASSENGERS EXITED ON THEIR OWN FOLLOWING COMPLETE STOPPAGE OF ALL ROTATING COMPONENTS. NO INJURIES OCCURRED.
AN IMMEDIATE CALL WAS MADE TO THE FIRE RESCUE CREW FROM THE HAWAII COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND EXTRICATION OF ALL PARTIES WERE COMPLETED WITHIN THE HOUR.
UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT BY THE PILOT, IT IS NOTED THAT ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE SUFFERED SOME SORT OF STRIKE. AN APPROXIMATE 8-10 IN. LONG PORTION OF THE TIP IS MISSING AND THE BLADE IS BENT AFT IN CERTAIN PLACES. BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT WAS SET DOWN IN UNIMPROVED TERRAIN, THE TAILBOOM AND TAIL ROTOR SYSTEM SETTLED INTO SOME SMALL TREES. THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES SUFFERED DAMAGE MOSTLY LIKELY POST LANDING BECAUSE THE PILOT HAD COMPLETE TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY THOUGH LANDING AND NO VIBRATION WAS FELT. THERE IS ALSO SOME DAMAGE TO THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND THE WINGLET ON THE END OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER WHICH MOST LIKELY OCCURRED POST LANDING WHEN THE TAIL ROTOR SYSTEM STRUCK THE TREES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.