- Date
- August 1, 2014, 15:00 local (Aug 2, 2014, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Honolulu, HI
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N110JCRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Taxi: Loss of tail rotor effectiveness
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 13, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20140801013289A
- Case key
- 89788
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 inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and failure to maintain aircraft control during taxi, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and subsequent impact with the taxiway and a parked fuel truck.
Findings · 4
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
The pilot reported that while air-taxiing east about 15 feet above ground level (agl) to parking with adjoining buildings on both sides, which were known for buffeting winds that made it difficult to control the helicopter's yaw, he encountered a strong gust of wind. The helicopter abruptly yawed to the right and he input left pedal control which did not correct the right yaw. The helicopter continued rotating to the right at an increasing speed; full left pedal had no effect. The pilot stated that the helicopter subsequently completed several 360-degree turns to the right, which rendered it completely uncontrollable; he abruptly lowered the collective from about 8 to 10 feet agl to get the helicopter on the ground. During the descent the helicopter's left skid impacted the center of the taxiway, slid toward a fuel truck, and came to rest on its right side. The main rotor blade impacted a fuel truck's windshield. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and the upper and lower cabin/cockpit structure. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while air-taxiing east about 15 feet above ground level (agl) to parking with adjoining buildings on both sides, which were known for buffeting winds that made it difficult to control the helicopter's yaw, he encountered a strong gust of wind. The helicopter abruptly yawed to the right and he input left pedal control which did not correct the right yaw. The helicopter continued rotating to the right at an increasing speed; full left pedal had no effect. The pilot stated that the helicopter subsequently completed several 360-degree turns to the right, which rendered it completely uncontrollable; he abruptly lowered the collective from about 8 to 10 feet agl to get the helicopter on the ground. During the descent the helicopter's left skid impacted the center of the taxiway, slid toward a fuel truck, and came to rest on its right side. The main rotor blade impacted a fuel truck's windshield. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and the upper and lower cabin/cockpit structure. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N110JC
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II (II)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 13346
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 375
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 7, 2013 · 77 hours before
- Departed
- I-99 · Kaunakakai, HI
- Destination
- HNL · Honolulu, HI
- Airport
- HNL · Honolulu International
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
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,088 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 16 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- HNL
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 10, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.5 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.