LAX04CA268

The main rotor contacted a tree during firefighting operations. The pilot completed an emergency landing, and the helicopter rolled onto its side. The pilot was maneuvering the helicopter slowly toward a fire, almost in a hovering condition. The pilot's attention was focused on the bucket attached to the helicopter, and the clearance between the bucket and the trees. Just after he initiated the water release, the main rotor blades impacted a tree. The pilot felt that the accident was a result of his focused attention on the bucket and his failure to see the limited clearance between the tree and the main rotor blades. The pilot noted no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter, nor were any found during a examination by an FAA inspector. The pilot's total bambi bucket experience was 10 hours, and he dumped 60 buckets over a 2-hour period the day of the accident.

On July 15, 2004, at 1600 Hawaiian standard time, a McDonnell Douglas 369FF, N530RL, contacted a tree with the main rotor blades during firefighting operations near the Lihue Airport, Lihue, Hawaii. The pilot completed an emergency landing, and the helicopter rolled onto its side. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The helicopter was registered to Smokey Mountain Helicopters, Inc., and being operated by Inter Island Helicopters under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 133. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The helicopter departed from the Port Allen Airport, Hanapepe, Hawaii, at 1400.

According to the pilot, he was performing fire suppression on a fire burning near the Lihue airport. He dropped 60 buckets of water over the course of 2 hours. The helicopter was slow and nearly in a hover. He had his attention focused on the bambi bucket attached to the helicopter, and the clearance between it and the trees. As he initiated the water release, he heard a loud noise and suspected that the main rotor blades impacted a tree. The helicopter impacted the ground and rolled onto its right side. Because of his focused attention on the bucket, he did not see the limited clearance and angle between the tree and the main rotor blades. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter. His total time of bambi bucket experience was 10 hours.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the helicopter on July 16, 2004. The inspector did not find any preimpact mechanical anomalies with the helicopter during the examination.