Hughes 369D N1103N
18 April 1994 · Hanapepe, Hawaii, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 18 April 1994 at about 23:14 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N1103N, operated by Pacific Aviation International, was involved in an accident near Hanapepe, Hawaii, United States. 5 people were on board and one died, 4 were 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 23:14
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hanapepe, Hawaii, United States
- Coordinates
- 21.9092, -159.5904
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D
- Registration
- N1103N
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Pacific Aviation International
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX94FA197
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
INADEQUATE TURBINE ENGINE COMPRESSOR CLEANING PROCEDURES BASED ON INFORMATION IN THE MANUFACTURER'S SERVICE LETTER, AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO BLOCKAGE OF THE FUEL NOZZLE STRAINER WITH FOREIGN MATERIAL (SODIUM). FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE LACK OF A SPECIFIED SERVICE REQUIRMENT FOR INSPECTION OF THE FUEL STRAINER, AND TERRAIN CONDITIONS IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR A WATERFALL ON A SIGHT-SEEING FLIGHT, THE HUGHES 369D SUSTAINED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, DESCENDED, AND LANDED HARD ON ROUGH/ROCKY TERRAIN. AN EXAM OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE FUEL NOZZLE STRAINER WAS CONTAMINATED AND BLOCKED WITH SODIUM, AND IT WAS PARTIALLY COLLAPSED. TESTS OF THE NOZZLE REVEALED THAT FLOW RATES WERE BELOW THE MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS. THE HELICOPTER WAS BEING OPERATED EXCLUSIVELY IN A MARINE ENVIRONMENT AND THE OPERATOR PERFORMED COMPRESSOR WASH PROCEDURES ON A DAILY BASIS. IN A SERVICE LETTER, THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER PRESCRIBED TURBINE ENGINE COMPRESSOR WASH PROCEDURES WHICH RESULTED IN IMMERSION OF THE FUEL NOZZLE IN CONTAMINATED WASH WATER. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF SUBSEQUENT INFILTRATION OF WASH WATER INTO THE FUEL NOZZLE STRAINER. THE FUEL NOZZLE STRAINER HAD A LIFE LIMIT OF 2500 HOURS, BUT ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, IT WAS NOT SUBJECT TO ANY PRIOR ROUTINE INSPECTION REQUIREMENT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 1994 | Hughes 369D | Pacific Ocean | Caribbean Fishing Co. | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Jun 1994 | Hughes 369D | Snoqualmie, Washington, United States | Highline Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jan 1994 | Hughes 369HS | Mason, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Jul 1994 | Hughes 369HS | West Jordan, Utah, United States | Scenic Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 18 Aug 1994 | Hughes 369HS | Custer, South Dakota, United States | Wild West Helo Tours, Inc | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jun 1994 | Hughes 369HS | Sarasota, Florida, United States | Hover Flight, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Nov 1994 | Piper PA-28-140 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | David Michael Goff | Fatal | 2 |
| 13 Feb 1994 | Schweizer 2-33-A | Dillingham, Hawaii, United States | Soar Hawaii, Ltd. | No injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 1994 | Aerospatiale AS-350-B | Humuula, Hawaii, United States | Papillon Hawaiian Helicopters | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Oct 1994 | Beechcraft C-23 | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Mar 1994 | Hughes 369D | Hi. Nat'l Park, Hawaii, United States | Mauna KEA Helicopters | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Oct 1994 | Eurocopter AS-350D | Kaupo, Hawaii, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |