# Accident 20211225020589A: Eurocopter France AS350B2, Kahului, HI, December 25, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 25, 2021, 12:30 local time
- Place: Kahului, HI
- Airport: Kahului
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: SSHA
- Location: 20.8894° N, 156.4332° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=20.8894&lon=-156.4332&mi=10
- Aircraft: N752CH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N752CH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Eurocopter France AS350B2 (registry code 8680973, https://openairdocs.org/model/eurocopter-france-as350b2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Honeywell LTS101-700D-2 (registry code 33825, https://openairdocs.org/engine/honeywell-lts101-700d-2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EUROCOPTER FRANCE AS350B2
- Reported engine: HONEYWELL LTS101-700D-2
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,536 total, 287 in this make and model, 185 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC22LA015](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC22LA015) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211225020589A

## Narrative

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

ON DECEMBER 25, 2021 AT MAUI HELIPORT, KAHULUI HI,  WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LIFT THE AIRCRAFT (N752CH) TO A HOVER TO TAXI ACROSS THE RAMP THE PIC NOTED THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED ROLLING MOTION. THE PIC IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND HAD A HARD LANDING WHICH RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM. THE TAIL BOOM HAD TO BE REPLACED.

AFTER COMPLETING A TOUR TO MOLOKAI, THE PIC WAS IN-BOUND FOR THE HELIPORT WHEN GROUND CREW DIRECTED HIM TO LAND ON PAD 3.  AFTER LANDING AND IDLING DOWN, GROUND CREW INFORMED HIM THAT ANOTHER AIRCRAFT WOULD BE ARRIVING SHORTLY AND NEEDED FUEL. AS HE DID NOT NEED FUEL FOR HIS NEXT FLIGHT, HE WAS ADVISED TO MOVE TO PAD 2, DIRECTLY TO THE RIGHT OF PAD 3. HE BEGAN REPOSITIONING THE AIRCRAFT; ONCE AT FULL IDLE, HE THEN STARTED TO RAISE COLLECTIVE AND WHEN GETTING LIGHT ON THE SKIDS HE NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT SKID WAS NOT YET OFF THE GROUND. HE CONTINUED TO RAISE COLLECTIVE WHEN HE DETECTED THAT THE RIGHT SKID FELT STUCK AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN MORE OF A ROLLING POSITION; SO, HE IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE TO PREVENT DYNAMIC ROLLOVER.  WHEN HE QUICKLY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE, THE AIRCRAFT THEN FELT TO HAVE BOUNCED ON THE PAD WITH ITS FINAL POSITION BEING SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT OF ITS ORIGINAL LANDING SITE.  HE IMMEDIATELY COMPLETED SHUT DOWN PROCEDURES. ONCE BLADES HAD STOPPED, HE QUICKLY DID A WALK AROUND TO SEE IF ANY DAMAGES OCCURRED TO THE AIRCRAFT AND DID NOT DETECT ANY ISSUES. HE REPOSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT TO PAD 2 QUICKLY TO ACCOMMODATE THE OTHER INCOMING AIRCRAFT. A COMPANY FUELER APPROACHED AND NOTICED EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL BOOM AND ADVISED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN UNTIL MAINTENANCE CREW COULD FULLY INSPECT FOR SAFETY ISSUES. THE PIC CONTACTED HIS PILOT SUPERVISOR IMMEDIATELY IN REGARDS TO THE EVENTS AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS GROUNDED UNTIL THE MAINTENANCE CREW WAS ABLE TO ASSESS AND REPAIR AS NEEDED. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

THIS ACCIDENT WAS DISCOVERED AS A RESULT OF A HOTLINE COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION. THE NTSB REVIEWED INITIAL INFORMATION AND DETERMINED THAT IT SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT. THE FAA/FSDO WAS NOTIFIED OF THE CLASSIFICATION JANUARY 20, 2022.

## 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 ANC22LA015](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC22LA015), Dec 25, 2021: Eurocopter France AS350B2 (N752CH), Kahului, HI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s abrupt flight control inputs to correct for dynamic rollover, resulting in a hard landing.

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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