- Date
- July 25, 2013, 13:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Hilo, HI
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N500PHMcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E
- Defining event
- Approach: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administratin
- FAA report
- 20130725014219A
- Case key
- 87585
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
A loss of engine power due to the pilot's improper planning and mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During a round trip tour flight, the pilot determined that the fuel state was low, and decided to return to the airport. The flight entered the airport environment and the pilot requested priority handling for a low fuel state. The engine subsequently lost power and the pilot initiated an autorotation to a field at the approach end of the runway. During the landing the helicopter's skid collapsed and the helicopter rolled over on to its right side which resulted in substantial damage. The operator indicated that there were no preimpact malfunctions or failures with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
During a round trip tour flight, the pilot determined that the fuel state was low, and decided to return to the airport. The flight entered the airport environment and the pilot requested priority handling for a low fuel state. The engine subsequently lost power and the pilot initiated an autorotation to a field at the approach end of the runway. During the landing the helicopter's skid collapsed and the helicopter rolled over on to its right side which resulted in substantial damage. The operator indicated that there were no preimpact malfunctions or failures with the engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N500PH
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas Helicopter 369E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0187E
- Airframe hours
- 19,255
- Engine
- Rolls Royce CAE-840027, 420 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Paradise Helicopters
- Registered owner
- K & S Helicopters Inc DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 10, 2013
- Departed
- PHTO · Hilo, HI
- Destination
- PHTO · Hilo, HI
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- PHTO · Hilo International Airport
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,180 total · 80 in this make and model · 80 in the last 90 days · 47 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- PHTO, 1 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 22, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.