MD Helicopters MD 900 N902AF
28 December 2008 · Kamuela, Hawaii, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 28 December 2008 at about 01:50 local time, a MD Helicopters MD 900 registered N902AF, operated by Vulcan Aircraft Inc, was involved in an incident near Kamuela, Hawaii, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:50
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Kamuela, Hawaii, United States
- Nearest airport
- Hapuna Heliport
- Coordinates
- 19.7386, -156.0456
- Aircraft
- MD Helicopters MD 900
- Registration
- N902AF
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Vulcan Aircraft Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Kona → Kamuela
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR09IA070
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The separation of the endplate bolts for undetermined reasons, resulting in an in-flight separation of the right endplate. Contributing to the accident was the manufacturer's failure to provide sufficient guidance for endplate bolt installation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A witness informed the flight crew that the helicopter "lost a panel" during landing. Inspection of the helicopter revealed that the lower right stabilizer (endplate) separated and was located approximately 70 feet from where the helicopter landed. The endplate was later recovered; however, the two associated attachment bolts were not. Without the bolts, it could not be determined if the attachments were not properly torqued or if the bolts' locking mechanism was no longer serviceable. The operator reported that the endplate was removed approximately 42 flight hours prior to the incident to facilitate a maintenance action on the horizontal stabilizer. Following the maintenance action and inspection, the endplate was reinstalled using the original attachment bolts. The applicable maintenance manual instructions for endplate installation directed maintenance personnel to secure the endplate to the spar tube and torque bolts to a specified value; however, it did not direct maintenance personnel to apply sealing and locking compound to bolt threads prior to installation. Following the incident, the manufacturer issued a mandatory Service Bulletin requiring the inspection of endplate bolts for serviceability and application of thread locking compound.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other MD Helicopters MD-900 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 2008 | MD Helicopters MD 900 | Amherst, Texas, United States | Covenant Health System | No injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 2008 | MD Helicopters MD 900 | Weatherford, Texas, United States | California Shock and Trauma Air Rescue | No injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 2006 | MD Helicopters MD 900 | Mesa, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2011 | MD Helicopters MD 900 | Leeds, United Kingdom | Yorkshire Air Ambulance Limited | Unknown | - |
| 27 Nov 2014 | MD Helicopters MD 900 | Highlandville, Missouri, United States | Air Methods Corporation | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Jul 2008 | Cessna 172 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Flight School Hawaii, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 19 Dec 2008 | Piper PA-28-140 | Kapolei, Hawaii, United States | Offshore Flight School Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 2008 | Piper PA32-301FT | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Makena Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jan 2008 | Beechcraft 1900C | Lihue, Hawaii, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Jun 2008 | Cessna 172M | Pahala, Hawaii, United States | Above It All, Inc. | Fatal | 3 |
| 14 May 2008 | Hughes 369FF | Kekaha, Hawaii, United States | Smoky Mountain Helicopters | No injuries | - |