What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N514PA was in the wainaha area assisting in trash removal. The helicopter had departed from Lihue Airport at an estimated time of 9 am for the wainaha area. After performing the necessary work, the piloted headed back to princeville airport to refuel, after taking off wainaha area, at approximately 300 feet and an airspeed of 50 knots the low rotor RPM light illuminated followed by the engine out light, the pilot made an emergency landing in hau trees. The pilot was extracted by longline and transported to a nearby pasture by a company aircraft that was onscene.
Dom stated when he arrived on scene he noted no fuel or oil leakage and the helicopter was level in the roll axis and at about a 20-degree tail down angle. The aircraft was extracted from the trees by an AS3SOB2 later that same evening using a 125FT line. NS14PA was air lifted to a clear area nearby and set down on its skids. Aircraft was then lifted by crane onto a trailer and
Transported to operator's hangar on Lihue Airport.
FAA inspectors arrived the next day and performed a general inspection, noting damage to the vertical and horizontal tail surfaces. Inspectors applied battery power to the aircraft and noted the "low fuel" light illumintated on the annunciator panel and the fuel gauge needle was in the red area indicating little to no fuel. Inspectors accessed the fuel tank with the assistance of operator maintenance personnel and noted a minute amount of fuel on the bottom of the tank. Fuel from the tank, fuel pump and hoses was drained and approximately 3 cups of fuel was obtained.
Inspectors concluded their inspection, noting the only damage was to the rotor head fairing, vertical and horizontal surfaces and a cracked upper right cockpit window.
As the FAA filed it
N514PA WAS IN THE WAINAHA AREA ASSISTING IN TRASH REMOVAL. THE HELICOPTER HAD DEPARTED FROM LIHUE AIRPORT AT AN ESTIMATED TIME OF 9 AM FOR THE WAINAHA AREA. AFTER PERFORMING THE NECESSARY WORK, THE PILOTED HEADED BACK TO PRINCEVILLE AIRPORT TO REFUEL, AFTER TAKING OFF WAINAHA AREA, AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AND AN AIRSPEED OF 50 KNOTS THE LOW ROTOR RPM LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE OUT LIGHT, THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN HAU TREES. THE PILOT WAS EXTRACTED BY LONGLINE AND TRANSPORTED TO A NEARBY PASTURE BY A COMPANY AIRCRAFT THAT WAS ONSCENE.
DOM STATED WHEN HE ARRIVED ON SCENE HE NOTED NO FUEL OR OIL LEAKAGE AND THE HELICOPTER WAS LEVEL IN THE ROLL AXIS AND AT ABOUT A 20-DEGREE TAIL DOWN ANGLE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE TREES BY AN AS3SOB2 LATER THAT SAME EVENING USING A 125FT LINE. NS14PA WAS AIR LIFTED TO A CLEAR AREA NEARBY AND SET DOWN ON ITS SKIDS. AIRCRAFT WAS THEN LIFTED BY CRANE ONTO A TRAILER AND
TRANSPORTED TO OPERATOR'S HANGAR ON LIHUE AIRPORT.
FAA INSPECTORS ARRIVED THE NEXT DAY AND PERFORMED A GENERAL INSPECTION, NOTING DAMAGE TO THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL TAIL SURFACES. INSPECTORS APPLIED BATTERY POWER TO THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTED THE "LOW FUEL" LIGHT ILLUMINTATED ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL AND THE FUEL GAUGE NEEDLE WAS IN THE RED AREA INDICATING LITTLE TO NO FUEL. INSPECTORS ACCESSED THE FUEL TANK WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OPERATOR MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND NOTED A MINUTE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK. FUEL FROM THE TANK, FUEL PUMP AND HOSES WAS DRAINED AND APPROXIMATELY 3 CUPS OF FUEL WAS OBTAINED.
INSPECTORS CONCLUDED THEIR INSPECTION, NOTING THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO THE ROTOR HEAD FAIRING, VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL SURFACES AND A CRACKED UPPER RIGHT COCKPIT WINDOW.
Other reports on N514PA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.