Hughes 369 accident near Pukoo, HI
On November 16, 2016, a Hughes 369 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Pukoo, HI. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- November 16, 2016
- Place
- Pukoo, HI
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 21.100°N, 156.792°W
- NTSB ID
- 20161116X00108
Official records · WPR17FA021
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- MKK Air Traffic Control Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn November 15, 2016, about 1841 Hawaii standard time, a turbine-powered Hughes (MDHI) 369D helicopter, N81GG, impacted mountainous tree-covered terrain about 1 mile north of Pukoo, Hawaii. The airline transport pilot and the passenger were fatally injured, and the helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The helicopter was registered to the pilot who was operating it under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plan was filed for the visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site at the time of the accident. The flight departed from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Honolulu, Hawaii, at 1756 and was destined for a private residence near Pukoo, located on the island of Molokai. According to the pilot's mechanic, who helped load and fuel the helicopter, the purpose of the flight was to transport the pilot's friend from HNL to Molokai. The pilot lived and worked in Honolulu and had another residence on the east side of Molokai that included a private helipad. The residence was located on the southeast side of Kamakou Mountain. The flight distance was about 65 nautical miles (nm), and the expected flight time was 30 minutes. The mechanic reported that he advised the pilot not to fly given the weather conditions, but that the pilot insisted on flying because he had to tend to business. About 1730, the mechanic sent a text message to the property caretaker of the pilot's home on Molokai to check the weather. According to sta
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to continue visual flight into an area of instrument meteorological conditions at night in rain, which resulted in his geographic disorientation and controlled flight into terrain.
More accidents in HI
- Beech 65-A90, Jun 22, 2019
- Piper PA-31-350, Sep 26, 1999
- Boeing 747-122, Feb 24, 1989
- Beech E18S, Apr 23, 1992
- Piper PA-31-350, Dec 24, 1987
Browse: Hawaii · Hughes 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.
