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20171016023669A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · Kaunakakai, HI · October 16, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 16, 2017 · 19:26 local
Place
Kaunakakai, HI
Airport
Kaunakai
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
RP8S
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N820DF
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR18LA010
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
N820DFRegistration cancelled Jul 10, 2020 · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 1164 · Built 2002Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44Engine modelLycoming 0-540 seriesReciprocating

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.

N820DF occupied by instrument student privacy data omitted and instrument instructor pilot privacy data omitted initiated an instrument training flight on the evening of October 16, 2017 at approximately 630 pm . The management of Hawaii pacific aviation inc.(dba mauna loa helicopters) was briefed that the aircraft was going to conduct training only on the island of oahu and was completely unaware of the pilots decision to travel over water at night to conduct this training on the island of molokai. This flight path was conducted contrary to internal policies within mauna loa concerning over water flights at night.

At 7:26 pm, 10/16/26 N820DF during the execution of a practice approach into Kaunakakai (molokai) airport the aircraft was last seen on radar turning left to intercept a honolulu control facility vectored heading to return to honolulu airport. At 3800 feet MSL N820DF was descending at 1500 feet per minute traveling at 43 knots. Radar contact from three radars were lost during a descending decerating left sweeping turn and not seen again.

As the FAA filed it

N820DF OCCUPIED BY INSTRUMENT STUDENT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND INSTRUMENT INSTRUCTOR PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INITIATED AN INSTRUMENT TRAINING FLIGHT ON THE EVENING OF OCTOBER 16, 2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 630 PM . THE MANAGEMENT OF HAWAII PACIFIC AVIATION INC.(DBA MAUNA LOA HELICOPTERS) WAS BRIEFED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING TO CONDUCT TRAINING ONLY ON THE ISLAND OF OAHU AND WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE PILOTS DECISION TO TRAVEL OVER WATER AT NIGHT TO CONDUCT THIS TRAINING ON THE ISLAND OF MOLOKAI. THIS FLIGHT PATH WAS CONDUCTED CONTRARY TO INTERNAL POLICIES WITHIN MAUNA LOA CONCERNING OVER WATER FLIGHTS AT NIGHT.

AT 7:26 PM, 10/16/26 N820DF DURING THE EXECUTION OF A PRACTICE APPROACH INTO KAUNAKAKAI (MOLOKAI) AIRPORT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LAST SEEN ON RADAR TURNING LEFT TO INTERCEPT A HONOLULU CONTROL FACILITY VECTORED HEADING TO RETURN TO HONOLULU AIRPORT. AT 3800 FEET MSL N820DF WAS DESCENDING AT 1500 FEET PER MINUTE TRAVELING AT 43 KNOTS. RADAR CONTACT FROM THREE RADARS WERE LOST DURING A DESCENDING DECERATING LEFT SWEEPING TURN AND NOT SEEN AGAIN.

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 WPR18LA010Accident · 2 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportMolokai, HIA descent and subsequent impact with open ocean waters for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.Oct 17, 2017 · Destroyed