- Date
- September 13, 2014, 14:00 local (Sep 14, 2014, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kahului, Maui, HI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N197BHEurocopter AS 350 B2
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20140913019729A
- Case key
- 90080
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 failure to maintain clearance from the cart while hovering. Contributing to the accident was the failure of ground personnel to remove the cart from the helipad.
Findings · 3
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
According to the pilot, a cart that housed an auxiliary power unit was positioned near the helicopter and used to start its engine. After engine start, ground personnel did not remove the cart from the helipad. The pilot reported that shortly after lift off to a hover, to perform track and balance checks, the tail rotor struck the forward portion of the cart. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and tail rotor. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, a cart that housed an auxiliary power unit was positioned near the helicopter and used to start it's engine. After engine start, ground personnel did not remove the cart from the helipad. The pilot reported that shortly after lift off to a hover, to perform track and balance checks, the tail rotor struck the forward portion of the cart. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and tail rotor. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N197BH
- Reported as
- Eurocopter AS 350 B2 (B2)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2666
- Built
- 1992
- Airframe hours
- 21,743
- Engine
- Turbomeca 1D1, 540 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Operator
- Hawaii Helicopters Inc, doing business as Hawaii Helicopters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Nevada Helicopter Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · September 8, 2014
- Departed
- OGG · Kahului, Maui, HI
- Destination
- OGG · Kahului, Maui, HI
- Airport
- OGG · Kahului
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 15, 2014
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 19,618 total · 11,343 in this make and model · 19,618 as pilot in command · 220 in the last 90 days · 77 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- PHOG, 1 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 20, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 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.