Bell 206B N98AW

Summary

On 18 May 1997 at about 21:45 local time, a Bell 206B registered N98AW, operated by Tetsuro E. Sugiyama, was involved in an accident near Hilo, Hawaii, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 May 1997 at 21:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Hilo, Hawaii, United States

Coordinates

19.6909, -155.0799

Aircraft

Bell 206B

Registration

N98AW

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Tetsuro E. Sugiyama

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kona → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX97LA185

1 person died.

the noninstrument-rated pilot flew into instrument conditions and failed to maintain adequate terrain clearance, while attempting to descend through an overcast. The adverse weather conditions and mountainous terrain were related factors.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The noninstrument-rated pilot filed a company visual flight plan for a ferry flight from Kona to Hilo, Hawaii, but obtained no preflight weather briefing. Meteorological conditions along the intended route of flight were variable from visual to instrument conditions. There was a 7,000 foot overcast overlaying the destination and the eastern portion of the route. A first officer for Hawaiian Airlines stated that he and the captain observed a helicopter 15 to 20 miles west of Hilo on top of an overcast and that the pilot appeared to be searching for a visual path through the clouds. The first officer stated that at that time, there were no holes in the clouds that he could see and that Hilo was under a solid overcast. The aircraft collided with mountainous terrain at 6,500 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.