Hughes 369HS N9161F
9 December 1989 · Waimea, Hawaii, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 9 December 1989 at about 01:30 local time, a Hughes 369HS registered N9161F, operated by Air Kaui, Inc., was involved in an accident near Waimea, Hawaii, United States. 5 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Waimea, Hawaii, United States
- Coordinates
- 21.9496, -159.6709
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369HS
- Registration
- N9161F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Air Kaui, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lihue → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX90LA050
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Probable cause
THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE PC TUBE BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, WHICH RESULTED IN FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE TUBE DUE TO INDUCED BENDING STRESSES.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE CERTIFICATED AIR LINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A HELICOPTER SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT WITH 4 PASSENGERS WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION TO THE BOTTOM OF A SMALL RIVER BOTTOM. WHILE LANDING, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED THAT THE FUEL CONTROL PC TUBE TO THE POWER TURBINE GOVERNOR HAD FRACTURED, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO GO TO A FLIGHT IDLE CONDITION. THIS TUBE WAS FOUND TO EXCEED THE SPECIFIED REQUIRED LENGTH OF MANUFACTURE. DURING INSTALLATION, THE TUBE WAS BENT BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO FIT. METALLURGICAL EXAM DISCLOSED A FRACTURE DUE TO FATIGUE NEAR THE FUEL CONTROL END. THIS FATIGUE WAS INTRODUCED BY BENDING STRESSES IN THE TUBE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Nov 1989 | Hughes 369D | Stayton, Oregon, United States | Associated Helicopter Svcs | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 1989 | Hughes 369HS | Niagara Falls, New York, United States | Rainbow Helicopters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 1989 | Hughes 369HS | Ogilvie, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Dec 1989 | Hughes 369E | Stroud, Oklahoma, United States | Tulsa Police Dept | No injuries | - |
| 15 Nov 1989 | Hughes 369HS | North Adams, Massachusetts, United States | King Services Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 31 Mar 1989 | Hughes 369D | Vallejo, California, United States | Helinet, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Oct 1989 | Emair MA1-B | Hilo, Hawaii, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Dec 1989 | Bryce Duster BJ-1B | Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 1989 | Boeing 747-122 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | United Airlines | Fatal | 9 |
| 11 Jun 1989 | Beechcraft H18 | Waipio Valley, Hawaii, United States | - | Fatal | 11 |
| 31 Oct 1989 | Beechcraft 77 | Kalihi, Hawaii, United States | Great Bend Air, Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 29 Oct 1989 | De Havilland DHC-6-300 | Halawa, Molokai, Hawaii, United States | - | Fatal | 20 |