- Date
- June 11, 1993, 11:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kahului, HI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1113LHughes 369D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930611017949A
- Case key
- 28402
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 failure of the pilot to maintain adequate ground obstruction clearance while engaged in a cattle herding operation.
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 pilot was attempting to herd some cattle down a 20 to 25 degree slope when the tail rotor struck a rock and he lost directional control. The aircraft began to rotate and the pilot rolled the throttle off and 'planted the helicopter on the ground.' During the landing, the main rotor system cut the tail boom off.
Factual narrative
On June 11, 1993, at about 1100 Honolulu standard time, a Hughes 369D helicopter, N1113L, collided with the ground following a tail rotor strike while hearding cattle near Kahului, Hawaii. The aircraft was owned and operated by Pacific Helicopter Tours, Inc., of Kahului, Hawaii. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The helicopter sustained substantial damage, however, the certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated at the Kahului airport, Maui, Hawaii, on the day of the mishap at about 0800 hours and had made one fuel stop in a field near the hearding operation.
In his written statement the pilot said he was attempting to heard some cattle down a 20 to 25 degree slope when the tail rotor struck a rock and he lost directional control. The aircraft began to rotate and the pilot said he rolled the throttle off and "planted the helicopter on the ground." During the landing, the main rotor system cut the tail boom off.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1113L
- Reported as
- Hughes 369D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1100837D
- Engine
- Allison 250-C20B, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pacific Helicopter Tours, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 9, 1993 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- OGG
- Destination
- OGG
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 10,000 in this make and model · 13,900 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
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 N1113L · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.