Sikorsky S-61N accident near Kekaha, HI
On February 22, 2022, a Sikorsky S-61N (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Kekaha, HI. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 22, 2022
- Place
- Kekaha, HI
- Aircraft
- Sikorsky S-61N · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 22.040°N, 159.781°W
- NTSB ID
- 20220222104681
Official records · ANC22FA018
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On February 22, 2022, about 1020 Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time, a Sikorsky S-61N helicopter, N615CK, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), Barking Sands, Kekaha, Hawaii, on the island of Kauai. The two pilots and two crewmembers were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 133 flight. The accident helicopter, owned and operated by Croman Corporation, was under contract to the United States Navy, being used to retrieve inert training torpedoes from the Pacific Ocean as part of the Navy’s ongoing, Pacific submarine training operations. According to the director of operations for the operator, the accident mission involved locating a training torpedo in the open waters, retrieving the torpedo using a recovery basket/cage system, then returning the torpedo to PMRF by sling load. The helicopter was one of two helicopters stationed at a hangar in PMRF Barking Sands. At the time of the accident, three mechanics were located at PMRF Barking Sands to maintain the two helicopters. The helicopter was equipped with ADS–B, which provided aircraft tracking to determine its position via satellite navigation or other sensors and periodically broadcasts it, enabling it to be tracked. The information can be received by air traffic control ground stations as a replacement for secondary surveillance radar, as no interrogation signal is needed from the ground. According to archived Federal Aviation Administration ADS-B data, after the helicopter departed PMRF, it proceeded north-northwe
Probable cause
The improper installation of the fore/aft primary servo by maintenance personnel, which resulted in the attaching hardware backing out and which subsequently rendered the helicopter uncontrollable. Contributing to the accident was the company’s quality control personnel to identify the improper installation before certifying the helicopter for flight.
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 · Sikorsky 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.
