- Date
- May 20, 1989, 16:00 local (May 21, 1989, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Waialae Falls, HI
- Injuries
- 7 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6003SAerospatiale AS350D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890520012479A
- Case key
- 26410
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
Improper maintenance/adjustment of the engine fuel control unit by company maintenance personnel, which resulted in a slight loss of engine power, and failure of the pilot to maintain rotor RPM, while turning and taking off from a hover with a relatively heavy gross weight. Factors related to the accident were: the high density altitude and rough/uneven (rocky) terrain in the emergency landing area.
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 on-demand air taxi helicopter was on a local sightseeing flt to Waialae Falls with six pax aboard. Elevation of the Falls was about 3000 ft. after hovering at low alt near the Falls, the plt began a pedal turn & began forward movement for the initial climb away from the Falls. The main rotor RPM decayed & the plt turned back toward the upper Falls, where he thought he could land. However, the helicopter settled into a ravine, impacted rocks & came to rest. An exam of the eng fuel control revealed the maximum stop was set at 93% versus 99% as specified by the manufacturer. Also, the governor break was set 400 RPM early, there was no seal on the metering valve sleeve & the safety wire thru the governor adjustment had been cut & not replaced.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6003S
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS350D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1552
- Airframe hours
- 2,203
- Engine
- Lycoming LTS-101, 531 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Papillion Helicopters
- Registered owner
- N. American Helicopter Airways
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 2, 1989 · 64 hours before
- Departed
- HPV · Princeville, 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
- 37
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,599 total · 250 in this make and model · 1,950 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 93 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KOKE, 4 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.