Hughes 369D N113RS
26 March 1994 · Hi. Nat'l Park, Hawaii, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 26 March 1994 at about 00:50 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N113RS, operated by Mauna KEA Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Hi. Nat'l Park, Hawaii, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. 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 00:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hi. Nat'l Park, Hawaii, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D
- Registration
- N113RS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Mauna KEA Helicopters
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Hilo → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX94LA174
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
the pilot's in-flight decision to maneuver the helicopter close to an active volcano steam vent which resulted in a whiteout condition from the steam, and the pilot's subsequent loss of visual contact with the ground.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A STEAM CLOUD WHILE HOVERING AND COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN NEAR A VOLCANO VENT. THE PILOT LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WHILE AT A 5-FOOT HOVER AFTER BEING ENVELOPED BY THE STEAM CLOUD. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND BY DESCENDING. DURING THE DESCENT, THE HELICOPTER'S LEFT SKID STRUCK A ROCK. THE HELICOPTER ROLLED RIGHT AND STRUCK THE GROUND.
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 | - |
| 24 Oct 1994 | Eurocopter AS-350D | Kaupo, Hawaii, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Apr 1994 | Pitts S-2A | Kahuku, Hawaii, United States | Tsunami Aviation Hawaii, Inc | Fatal | 1 |