- Date
- June 23, 1990, 13:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Hanapepe, HI
- Injuries
- 10 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA reports
- 19900623022151A19900623022152A
- Case key
- 26637
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 of pilot of the photographing helicopter to maintain clearance and avoid collision.
Failure of pilot of the photographing helicopter to maintain clearance and avoid collision.
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
One helicopter, N8605F, was conducting a part 91 sight-seeing flight for hire with four paying passengers. The other helicopter, N1103N, was planning to photograph N8605F for advertizing purposes. N1103N had two professional photographers and assistants on board. The helicopters were flying parallel courses. N8605F was ahead and below N1103N. The pilots indicated there was about 100 horizontal and 50 feet vertical separation. The pilot of the N8605F stated he lost visual contact with the other helicopter. The pilot of N8605F then looked forward and then to the right. The pilot of photographing helicopter was about to make contact with the other pilot via radio. The helicopters then collided. The left front skid of the photographing helicopter struck the rear of the other helicopter main rotor system.
One helicopter, N8605F, was conducting a part 91 sight-seeing flight for hire with four paying passengers. The other helicopter, N1103N, was planning to photograph N8605F for advertizing purposes. N1103N had two professional photographers with assistants on board. The helicopter were flying parallel courses. N8605F was ahead and below N1103N. The pilots indicated there was about 100 horizontal and 50 feet vertical separation. The pilot of the N8605F then looked forward and then to the right. The pilot of photographing helicopter was about to make contact with the other pilot via radio. The helicopters then collided. The left front skid of the photographing helicopter struck the rear of the other helicopter's main rotor system.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N8605F
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 490119D
- Airframe hours
- 2,825
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Smoky Mountain Helicopters, doing business as Pacific Aviation International
- Registered owner
- Smokey Mountain Helicopter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 7, 1990 · 63 hours before
- Departed
- PAK · Port Allen, 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.
- Registration
- N1103N
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 9450
- Airframe hours
- 4,087
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Smoky Mountain Helicopter, doing business as Pacific Aviation International
- Registered owner
- Century Financial Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 21, 1990 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- PAK · Port Allen, HI
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N8605F
- Age
- 42
- Certificates
- Military, Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,800 total · 120 in this make and model · 2,200 as pilot in command · 140 in the last 90 days · 120 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N1103N
- Age
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,500 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 12,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LIH, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 2
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8605F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.