- Date
- May 5, 1991, 11:29 local (21:29 UTC)
- Place
- Keanae, HI
- Injuries
- 3 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9219FHughes 369HS
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910505014259A
- Case key
- 27194
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 total failure in fatigue of the helicopter's spur adapter gearshaft. A contributing factor was related to the lack of a suitable emergency landing site.
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
During an air taxi sightseeing flight the pilot experienced a sudden total loss of all engine power. The pilot made a forced landing and collided with trees. Exam of the helicopter's engine revealed the forward splines on the spur adapter gearshaft had failed in fatigue which resulted in the sag being disconnected form the drive system. Metallurgical exam of the failed sag revealed it conformed to its manufacturer's design specifications. The compressor, and the sag, were subject to an overhaul 826.8 operational hours prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9219F
- Reported as
- Hughes 369HS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 940638S
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 400 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Gerardin Corp., doing business as Alex Air
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- OGG · Kahului, HI
- Destination
- OGG · Kahului, 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
- 38
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,200 total · 380 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command · 82 in the last 90 days · 68 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 45° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F
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 N9219F · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.