Mcdonnell Douglas 369D accident near Hauula, HI
On July 21, 1995, a Mcdonnell Douglas 369D (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Hauula, HI. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 21, 1995
- Place
- Hauula, HI
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas 369D · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 21.590°N, 157.920°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001207X03984
Official records · LAX95GA264
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 21, 1995, about 1227 hours Hawaiian standard time, a McDonnell Douglas 369D, N1090S, operating under call sign Air 1 by the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) as a public use aircraft, was destroyed while maneuvering near Hauula, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Changing meteorological conditions existed during this time. The pilot and two passengers, who were suspended beneath the helicopter in a rescue net, received fatal injuries. The flight originated on the day of the accident as an on-going search for a lost hiker in the Koolau Mountains near Sacred Falls. The pilot had made two prior insertions of search and rescue (SAR) personnel into the general area of the search. They repelled out of the helicopter to the ground. On each of the two insertions an observer was onboard to retrieve the rope. The first two inserted SAR personnel were subsequently relocated separately by the pilot with an observer onboard to a campsite with the use of a Billy Pugh helicopter rescue net. According to an HFD report to the Safety Board, after returning to the staging area, a decision was made to insert two Honolulu Police Department (HPD) officers into the search area at one time using the Billy Pugh net. The report stated that the decision was made by the pilot to fly without an observer. According to an HFD pilot, when operating without an observer the pilot must lean outside of the helicopter to maintain visual contact with the net. According to resident search personnel, changing trade winds and cloud cover are a common phenomena in the area and had been affecting
Probable cause
the pilot's poor judgement by intentionally flying into adverse weather conditions in mountainous terrain with an external load and no observer which resulted in loss of aircraft control. Factors were pressure from the conditions/events and a lack of total experience in the type of operation.
More accidents in HI
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Browse: Hawaii · Mcdonnell Douglas aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
