Hughes 369D N5105N
11 May 1997 · Puako, Hawaii, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 11 May 1997 at about 02:20 local time, a Hughes 369D registered N5105N, operated by Kaohukaukuahiwi K. Sproat, was involved in an accident near Puako, Hawaii, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 died, 2 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 02:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Puako, Hawaii, United States
- Coordinates
- 19.9293, -155.7893
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D
- Registration
- N5105N
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Kaohukaukuahiwi K. Sproat
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Mano Point → Waimea-Kohala
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX97LA176
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
erosion of second stage stator vanes, inadequate maintenance inspection for the erosion, and subsequent fatigue failure of a stator vane, which resulted in loss of engine power and a forced landing on mountainous/hilly terrain. Also causal was: the pilot's loading of the aircraft in such a manner that exceeded the forward CG limit, which resulted in his failure (or inability) to properly flare the helicopter during a forced autorotation and landing. The rising terrain and tailwind condition for landing were related factors.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter was cruising at low level when the engine failed. The pilot turned toward a landing area and entered an autorotation with a quartering tailwind. During the autorotation, the helicopter continued to descend, remaining in a nose low attitude, until striking the ground. Impact occurred on up sloping terrain, and the helicopter was damaged. A computation of the weight and balance revealed the helicopter's moment arm exceeded the forward CG limit by about one inch, and limited aft cyclic control. An examination of the engine revealed that a stator vane had failed due to excessive erosion and fatigue cracking. The condition had not been detected during a compressor case erosion inspection, 60 flight hours before the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Hughes 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Feb 1997 | Hughes 369HS | Marion, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Sep 1997 | Hughes 369HS | Morgan, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jan 1997 | Hughes 369HS | Wellington, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Jun 1997 | Hughes 369HS | Pacific Ocean | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 May 1997 | Hughes 369D | Moclips, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Feb 1997 | Hughes 369D | Milolii, Hawaii, United States | Manuiwa Airways | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-28-140 | Lanai City, Hawaii, United States | David Chevalier | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 1997 | McDonnell Douglas 369D | Kamuela, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Apr 1997 | Cessna 182F | Mokuleia, Hawaii, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Apr 1997 | Duff MINI-500 | Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 13 Apr 1997 | De Havilland DHC-6-300 | Hilo, Hawaii, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 May 1997 | Bell 206B | Hilo, Hawaii, United States | Tetsuro E. Sugiyama | Fatal | 1 |