- Date
- May 13, 1988, 10:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Waialua, HI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4943TMcDonnell Douglas 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880513046499A
- Case key
- 25999
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
Failure to follow procedures established by the manufacture for uncommanded trim inputs and his decision to make a hover approach to landing.
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 helicopter was returning to its long line pickup point for another load when it entered an uncommanded left roll. The pilot regained control of the helicopter, released the long line cable and entered a shallow, slow approach to a hover in a vacant area. As the skids neared the ground the helicopter rolled left to an angle of 45 degrees, began to climb, then crashed into an irrigation ditch. The examination revealed metal particles contaminating the trim actuator switch. According to the manufacturer, the helicopter is controllable with a malfunctioning trim system; however, the circuit brakers should be pulled. The pilot stated he reset the circuit breakers.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4943T
- Reported as
- McDonnell Douglas 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 400694D
- Airframe hours
- 3,102
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 133
- Operator
- Cherry Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Cherry Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 10, 1988 · 82 hours before
- Departed
- Waialua, HI
- Airport
- Field
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
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,600 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 8,600 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 3 knots, gusting 7
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HHI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4943T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.