- Date
- December 8, 1989, 15:30 local (Dec 9, 1989, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Waimea, HI
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9161FHughes 369HS
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891208049579A
- Case key
- 26703
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
The improper installation of the pc tube by company maintenance personnel, which resulted in fatigue failure of the tube due to induced bending stresses.
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 certificated air line transport pilot was conducting a helicopter sightseeing flight with 4 passengers when the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot made an emergency autorotation to the bottom of a small river bottom. While landing, the helicopter rolled over. Examination of the engine showed that the fuel control pc tube to the power turbine governor had fractured, causing the engine to go to a flight idle condition. This tube was found to exceed the specified required length of manufacture. During installation, the tube was bent by company maintenance personnel to fit. Metallurgical exam disclosed a fracture due to fatigue near the fuel control end. This fatigue was introduced by bending stresses in the tube.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9161F
- Reported as
- Hughes 369HS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 8305115
- Airframe hours
- 12,198
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 375 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Air Kaui, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Heli-Dyne Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 19, 1989 · 85 hours before
- Departed
- LIH · Lihue, HI
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 10,000 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.