Hughes 369D N8605F
23 June 1990 · Hanapepe, Hawaii, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 23 June 1990 at about 23:00 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N8605F, operated by Smoky Mountain Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Hanapepe, Hawaii, United States. 10 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 23:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hanapepe, Hawaii, United States
- Coordinates
- 21.9094, -159.5909
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D
- Registration
- N8605F
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Smoky Mountain Helicopters
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Port Allen → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX90FA230
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF PILOT OF THE PHOTOGRAPHING HELICOPTER TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE AND AVOID COLLISION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
ONE HELICOPTER, N8605F, WAS CONDUCTING A PART 91 SIGHT-SEEING FLIGHT FOR HIRE WITH FOUR PAYING PASSENGERS. THE OTHER HELICOPTER, N1103N, WAS PLANNING TO PHOTOGRAPH N8605F FOR ADVERTIZING PURPOSES. N1103N HAD TWO PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS WITH ASSISTANTS ON BOARD. THE HELICOPTER WERE FLYING PARALLEL COURSES. N8605F WAS AHEAD AND BELOW N1103N. THE PILOTS INDICATED THERE WAS ABOUT 100 HORIZONTAL AND 50 FEET VERTICAL SEPARATION. THE PILOT OF THE N8605F THEN LOOKED FORWARD AND THEN TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT OF PHOTOGRAPHING HELICOPTER WAS ABOUT TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE OTHER PILOT VIA RADIO. THE HELICOPTERS THEN COLLIDED. THE LEFT FRONT SKID OF THE PHOTOGRAPHING HELICOPTER STRUCK THE REAR OF THE OTHER HELICOPTER'S MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hughes 369D 369D | N8605F | Smoky Mountain Helicopters | Substantial |
| Hughes 369D 369D | N1103N | Smoky Mountain Helicopter | Minor |
Other Hughes 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Apr 1990 | Hughes 369HS | Junction, Texas, United States | Neveri, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 26 Mar 1990 | Hughes 369E | Buford, Georgia, United States | Gwinnett County Board of Comm | No injuries | - |
| 4 May 1990 | Hughes 369C | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | Alex Air | No injuries | - |
| 11 May 1990 | Hughes 369E | Firebaugh, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jun 1990 | Hughes 369HS | Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States | Charles Bella | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 May 1990 | Hughes 369FF | Madera, California, United States | Rogers Helicopters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Sep 1990 | Bell 206B | Oahu, Hawaii, United States | Hawaii Int'l Helicopters | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Nov 1990 | Aerospatiale AS-350-B | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | Hawaii Helicopters, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 May 1990 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Hilo, Hawaii, United States | Aviation, IO | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Dec 1990 | McDonnell Douglas 369D | Haleakla Nat Pk, Hawaii, United States | Paciffic Helicopter Tours | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 May 1990 | Schweizer SGS 1-26 | Waialua, Hawaii, United States | Soar Hawaii, Ltd. | No injuries | - |
| 18 Dec 1990 | McDonnell Douglas 369D | Keanae, Hawaii, United States | Pacific Helicopters Inc. | Minor injuries | - |