- Date
- November 9, 1991, 10:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hilo, HI
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N16712Bell 206B
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911109050069A
- Case key
- 27500
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 inadvertent encounter with a loss of tail rotor effectiveness phenomena and the resultant pilot inflight loss of control.
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
According to the pilots statement, as the helicopter flew over a saddle pass in a mountain area the flight encountered clouds which rapidly closed down on and around the aircraft. The pilot said 'I had no choice but to slow down and try to turn around without getting into the low clouds that were moving in.' As the aircraft slowed, it suddenly began to rotate to the right. The pilot was unable to correct the yaw with left peddle input and after three revolutions the low rotor RPM horn sounded. The pilot said that she felt the helicopter control diminish and she elected to put the helicopter down on the ground. At an altitude of about 6 feet the pilot lowered the collective and the helicopter landed hard in a level attitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16712
- Reported as
- Bell 206B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2181
- Airframe hours
- 13,499
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Kona Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Kona Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 23, 1991 · 58 hours before
- Departed
- HI07 · Waikoloa, HI
- Destination
- ITO · Hilo, 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
- 30
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,600 total · 1,530 as pilot in command · 220 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- 900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °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.