# Accident 20190416002949A: Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E, Hauula, HI, April 16, 2019 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 16, 2019, 11:30 local time - Place: Hauula, HI - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: K2DA - Location: 21.5883° N, 157.9119° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=21.5883&lon=-157.9119&mi=10 - Aircraft: N593C, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N593C) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E (registry code 3027369, https://openairdocs.org/model/mcdonnell-douglas-helicopter-369e) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER 369E - People aboard: 5 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 2,544 total, 1,350 in this make and model, 315 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR19LA111](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR19LA111) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190416002949A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 4-16-19 PILOT ARRIVED WORK AT 0630 PREFLIGHT AND ADDED 7 GALLONS TO TOP OFF FUEL. HOBBS METER INDICATED 751.4 HRS AT DEPARTURE. PILOT DEPARTED H158 HELIPORT AND DID NUMEROUS PAX AND CARGO INTERATIONS(FLIGHTS) IN THE MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS OF THE OAHU ISLAND. AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE FAILURE THE PILOT BELIEVED HE HAD 100LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD AND HE BELIEVED HE WAS 1 HOUR AND 41 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT AS HE WAS HEADING BACK TO H158 FOR GAS. AT APPROXIMATELY 1130AM THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE AIRCRAFT AUTOROTATED INTO A HEAVILY VEGETATED AREA AND CAME TO A STOP INTO A TREE, SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHING AND ROLLING RIGHT AND STOPPED INVERTED. NO POST CRASH FIRE. PILOT AND PAX EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT UPSIDE DOWN WITHOUT INJURY. PILOT AND PAX THEN HIKED OUT OF AREA AND CONTACTED HIS MANAGMENT. 1200 INSPECTOR MONFORT (IIC)RECIEVED NOTIFICATION OF THE ACCIDENT. 4-17-19 IIC ARRIVED AT ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT SIGHT AND INSPECTED WRECKAGE AFTER IT WAS AIR LIFTED TO A CLEARED AREA. IIC FOUND NO FUEL RESIDUE ON UPSIDE DOWN AIRCRAFT AND COULD NOT SMELL ANY FUEL FUMES. AIRCRAFT WAS THEN POSTIONED UP RIGHT. A VISIBLE INSPECTION FROM THE FUEL PORT REVEALED NO VIEWABLE FUEL. TANK APPEARS TO BE EMPTY AND NO FUEL RESIDUE CAN BE FOUND ON ANY AIRCRAFT SURFACES. DURING FURTHER INVESTIGATION FROM THE COCKPILT THE BATTERY POWER WAS APPLIED AND THE FUEL GUAGE INDICATES EMPTY. FUEL LOW LIGHT NOT OPERABLE WITH FUEL GUAGE INDICATING EMPTY, BUT IT DOES LIGHT UP WHEN TESTED. LOW FUEL WARNING SYSTEM IN QUESTION. FLIGHT CONTROLS SEEMED TO FUNCTION OK AND APPEARED IN TACT. THROTTLE CONTROLS APPEAR INTACT AND FUNCTIONAL. ENGINE SEEMS TO FREELY ROTATE. ROTOR SYSTEM ROTATES FREELY WITHOUT BINDING. ROTOR BLADE DAMAGE APPEARS TO BE LOW INERTIA AND MOST DAMAGE SEEMS TO BE FROM POST IMPACT AND SLOW ROTATION. LITTLE TO NO LEADING EDGE DAMAGE ON MAIN OR TAIL ROTOR, EXCEPT FOR ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE IIC DRAINED 500ML OF FUEL FROM LOWER SUMP DRAIN AND THEN IT WAS EMPTY. IIC ATTEMPTED TO DRAIN ENGINE FUEL FILTER WITH POWER AND FUEL PUMP ON BUT GOT ONLY BUBBLES, NO FUEL. ACCIDENT PILOT ASSISTED IIC WITH FUEL SAMPLING. ACCIDENT PILOT WHEN QUESTIONED ANSWERED "BASED ON THE SUMPING OF THE FUEL AND NO RESIDUAL FUEL STAINS OR PUDDLES I MUST HAVE MISMANAGED THE FUEL AND RAN IT OUT" POST ACCIDENT HOBBS METER INDICATES 0753.4. AIRCRAFT FLIGHT TIME AT IMPACT WOULD OF BEEN 2.1 HOURS SINCE LAST REFUEL. REPORT AMENDED 5/16/19 IIC INFORMED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ONE OF THE PASSENGERS HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED BY HER DOCTOR AS HAVING A POST CRASH TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND IS UNABLE TO RETURN TO WORK. ## 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 WPR19LA111](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR19LA111), Apr 16, 2019: MD Helicopter 369 (N593C), Hauula, HI, substantial damage. Probable cause: Fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot’s fuel burn miscalculation. Contributing to the accident was the inoperative caution light indicating low fuel level. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.