Aerospatiale AS350BA accident near Haena, HI

On September 24, 2005, an Aerospatiale AS350BA (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Haena, HI. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

September 24, 2005

Place

Haena, HI

Aircraft

Aerospatiale AS350BA · Helicopter

Injuries

3 fatal, 0 serious, 3 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

22.221°N, 159.580°W

NTSB ID

20051003X01565

Official records · SEA05MA199

• Investigation page: status, final report and safety recommendations

NTSB summary

On September 23, 2005, about 1415 Hawaiian standard time, an Aerospatiale AS350BA helicopter, N355NT, registered to Jan Leasing, LLC, and operated by Heli-USA Airways, Inc., of Las Vegas, Nevada, encountered adverse weather and crashed into the Pacific Ocean several hundred feet off the coast of Kailiu Point, near Haena, Hawaii, on the island of Kauai. The sightseeing air tour flight was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 and visual flight rules with a company flight plan in effect. Localized instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the vicinity of the accident site. Three passengers were killed, and the commercial pilot and two other passengers received minor injuries. The flight departed from Lihue Airport (LIH), Lihue, Hawaii, on the island of Kauai, at 1354 for the intended 45-minute tour. The flight was operated under Special Federal Aviation Regulation 71, "Special Operating Rules for Air Tour Operators in the State of Hawaii," and in accordance with a certificate of waiver or authorization approved for Heli-USA by the Federal Aviation Administration Honolulu Flight Standards District Office in Honolulu, Hawaii. The flight proceeded westbound from LIH, which is on the southeastern part of the island, on the operator's standard clockwise tour route around the island. The pilot reported that the weather and visibility were good during the initial part of the tour. The pilot stated that he flew the helicopter over the Na Pali Coast on the northern part of the island at 2,000 feet above ground level and that the weather along

Probable cause

The pilot's decision to continue flight into adverse weather conditions, which resulted in a loss of control due to an encounter with a microburst. Contributing to the accident was inadequate Federal Aviation Administration surveillance of Special Federal Aviation Regulation 71 operating restrictions. Contributing to the loss of life in the accident was the lack of helicopter flotation equipment.

More accidents in HI

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.