Hughes 369E N7733H

Summary

On 12 December 1988 at about 22:48 local time, a Hughes 369E registered N7733H, operated by Kauai Helicopter, was involved in an accident near Hanalei, Hawaii, United States. 5 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

12 December 1988 at 22:48

Classification

Accident

Location

Hanalei, Hawaii, United States

Coordinates

22.2008, -159.5008

Aircraft

Hughes 369E

Registration

N7733H

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Kauai Helicopter

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lihue → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX89LA063

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING A LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HEARD A MUFFLED BANG AND SIMULTANEOUSLY THE ENGINE OUT WARNING LIGHTS AND AUDIO ALARM ACTIVATED. THE PILOT INITIATED A FORCED LANDING ON THE BEACH WHICH RESULTED IN THE HELICOPTER NOSING OVER. AN ENGINE EXAM REVEALED THAT THE GAS GENERATOR TURBINE HAD FAILED. THE EVIDENCE INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO CONSTANT TURBINE OVERTEMPERATURES. THE EXHAUST TEMPERATURE PROBE SYSTEM WAS TESTED AND SHOWED CONSISTENT READINGS 50 TO 100 DEGREES LOWER THAN THE ACTUAL TEMP. ADDITIONALLY, THE LIGHTOFF FUEL FLOW WAS EXCESSIVE DUE TO THE IMPROPER SETTING OF THE START/ACCELERATOR SCHEDULE ADJUSTER. MAINTENANCE RECORDS DID NOT INDICATE A RECENT EXHAUST TEMP CHECK.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.