McDonnell Douglas 369D N4943T
13 May 1988 · Waialua, Hawaii, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 13 May 1988 at about 20:15 local time, a McDonnell Douglas 369D registered N4943T, operated by Cherry Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near Waialua, Hawaii, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Waialua, Hawaii, United States
- Nearest airport
- Field
- Coordinates
- 21.5709, -158.1206
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas 369D
- Registration
- N4943T
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Cherry Helicopters, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Waialua → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX88LA179
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES ESTABLISHED BY THE MANUFACTURE FOR UNCOMMANDED TRIM INPUTS AND HIS DECISION TO MAKE A HOVER APPROACH TO LANDING.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE HELICOPTER WAS RETURNING TO ITS LONG LINE PICKUP POINT FOR ANOTHER LOAD WHEN IT ENTERED AN UNCOMMANDED LEFT ROLL. THE PILOT REGAINED CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER, RELEASED THE LONG LINE CABLE AND ENTERED A SHALLOW, SLOW APPROACH TO A HOVER IN A VACANT AREA. AS THE SKIDS NEARED THE GROUND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED LEFT TO AN ANGLE OF 45 DEGREES, BEGAN TO CLIMB, THEN CRASHED INTO AN IRRIGATION DITCH. THE EXAMINATION REVEALED METAL PARTICLES CONTAMINATING THE TRIM ACTUATOR SWITCH. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, THE HELICOPTER IS CONTROLLABLE WITH A MALFUNCTIONING TRIM SYSTEM; HOWEVER, THE CIRCUIT BRAKERS SHOULD BE PULLED. THE PILOT STATED HE RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other McDonnell Douglas 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov 1989 | McDonnell Douglas 369HS | Oklee, Minnesota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Mar 1987 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Dec 1989 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Santa Rosa, California, United States | Interwest, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 27 Oct 1987 | McDonnell Douglas 369D | Borrego Springs, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Nov 1989 | McDonnell Douglas 369 | Barstow, California, United States | Helicopters International | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 Oct 1986 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Gahanna, Ohio, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Dec 1988 | Cessna 152 | Haleiwa, Hawaii, United States | Hickam-Wheeler Aero Club | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 May 1988 | Bell 206B | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Hawaii Pacific Helicopters | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Jun 1988 | Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 | Lihue, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Nov 1988 | Univair TAYLORCRAFT BC12-D | Kawaihae, Hawaii, United States | Kaminski, Charles D. | No injuries | - |
| 13 Nov 1988 | Cessna 337E | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | Brents International | No injuries | - |
| 12 Dec 1988 | Hughes 369E | Hanalei, Hawaii, United States | Kauai Helicopter | No injuries | - |