- Date
- September 21, 1992, 12:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Volcano, HI
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N73279Bell 47-G4A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920921037899A
- Case key
- 27771
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 improper use of the collective control after inadvertently entering a power settling condition.
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 helicopter was on a local area for hire sight seeing flight to the pu'u o'o vent in volcanoes national park. The pilot reported that he was hovering above the vent at about 50 feet AGL when the helicopter started settling with power. He said he turned the helicopter down slope to maximize the altitude and attempt to gain airspeed. The prevailing wind was now from the rear of the helicopter as the pilot flew down the slope and the helicopter continued to settle toward the ground. The pilot said he continuously applied collective pitch in an attempt to arrest the descent, however, the helicopter continued to settle and collided with the ground and rolled over. The pilot noted that there was no preimpact failure of the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73279
- Reported as
- Bell 47-G4A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3134
- Airframe hours
- 5,146
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-540-B1B3, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Kainoa Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Kainoa Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 18, 1992 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- ITO · Hilo, HI
- Destination
- ITO
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 1,300 in this make and model · 1,300 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °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 N73279 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.