- Date
- January 25, 2024, 12:47 local (22:47 UTC)
- Place
- Waialua, HI · Mountain
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N545PHMcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Dynamic rollover
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20240125000379A
- Case key
- 193753
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inability to maintain directional control after a skid got caught on a fence while he was maneuvering the helicopter for takeoff, which resulted in a dynamic roll-over.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while attempting to takeoff from a landing zone (LZ) that was overgrown with tall vegetation, the right front skid got caught in a fence, which resulted in a dynamic roll over. The helicopter rolled to the right and forward down the ridge and came to rest on its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom and main rotor transmission. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N545PH
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0536E
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 11,358.7
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 135
- Operator
- K & S Helicopters Inc, doing business as Paradise Helicopters
- Registered owner
- K & S Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 10, 2023 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- PVT · Kahuku, HI
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 14, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 15,900 total · 10,600 in this make and model · 15,800 as pilot in command · 124 in the last 90 days · 52 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.91 inHg
- Observed at
- PHHI, 5 nm away
- METAR
- PHHI 252255Z AUTO 22006KT 10SM CLR 25/17 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP119 T02520166 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.