- Date
- May 18, 1986, 09:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Maui, HI
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N244WCBell 206B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860518017789A
- Case key
- 24942
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft collided with powerlines while carrying pass'g on a sightseeing flt through a canyon. The wires across the canyon were EST to be 1700 long with height AGL unknown. The wires were unmarked and were 1/2 in dia aluminum. One of the passengers was filming the scenery during the flt and the plt later said he thought that a battery pack for the camera had interfered with the collective control during his attempt to avoid the powerlines. The passenger said that all the extra photo equipment was in a bag in the back compartment. Some camera equipment was found outside the acft after the accident. The battery pack was later placed by the collective control to try to duplicate the event. The only way interferance could have occurred would be to have the pack on edge & full aft near the collective control pivot point. The equipment found outside the acft was placed inside by rescue personnel during the recovery operation. The plt also reportedly said 'how did that happen' indicating he never saw the wires.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N244WC
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2777
- Airframe hours
- 2,331
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 317 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aloha Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 22, 1986 · 92 hours before
- Departed
- OGG · Kahului, HI
- Destination
- OGG · Kahului, HI
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 900 in this make and model · 230 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OGG, 19 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.