- Date
- November 15, 1990, 20:30 local (Nov 16, 1990, 06:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kahului, HI
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N350CBAerospatiale AS-350-B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 27063
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 pilot's inadvertent deactivation of the helicopter's hydraulic boost system and his improper remedial action thereafter to the inflight situations which he created. A contributing factor was related to the manufacturer's inadequate location and design (shape) of the hydraulic test switch.
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 purpose of the planned 5 min long night flight was to reward one of the operator's customer's employees for their sales performance record. The flt involved a view of the city. The pilot had earlier made a similar flt, & during takeoff he had turned off the helicopter's landing light to 'amplify the visual effect' of the runway lights. The helicopter's manufacturer had designed the light switch to be located adjacent to the hydraulic test switch. Upon depression of the light switch the helicopter's light turned off. Upon depression of the hyd test switch the hyd boost system deactivated, the controls stiffened & a warning horn sounded. During the aerial taxi for takeoff, between 25 & 50 ft AGL, the pilot inadvertnetly mistook & depressed the hyd test switch for the light switch, & the warning horn activated. When the pilot released the collective control to silence the horn the collective lowered & the helicopter descended until touching down hard on the taxiway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N350CB
- Reported as
- Aerospatiale AS-350-B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2196
- Engine
- Turbomeca ARRIEL 1B, 650 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- Hawaii Helicopters, Inc.
- Destination
- HI
- Airport
- OGG · Kahului
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 950 in this make and model · 9,000 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 45° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F