Hughes 369D accident near Haena, HI
On March 27, 2026, a Hughes 369D (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Haena, HI. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 27, 2026
- Place
- Haena, HI
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 2 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 22.177°N, 159.654°W
- NTSB ID
- 20260327202704
NTSB summary
On March 26, 2026, about 1539 Hawaii standard time, a Hughes 369D helicopter, N715KV, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Haena, Hawaii. The pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries, and three passengers were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 revenue sightseeing flight. The helicopter departed Lihue Airport (LIH), Lihue, Hawaii, about 1512 for a local sightseeing tour. It was scheduled for the sixth and final flight of the day. The flight was uneventful until it reached the northern shore of the island, near Haena about 20 miles northeast of LIH. According to the pilot, upon reaching Kalalau beach, he accomplished a left turn away from the shoreline as part of the normal flight profile. Upon entering the turn, the pilot experienced a high frequency vibration throughout the helicopter that came in waves and became stronger each time. Subsequently, the helicopter started an un-commanded right yaw that could not be corrected with input from the left anti-torque pedal. The helicopter quickly began to rotate clockwise, completing about 2 rotations, and the pilot entered the helicopter into an autorotation. He rolled the throttle to idle and attempted to increase the airspeed for better directional control. The pilot noted that the spinning had stopped during the autorotation and he made a mayday radio call. Unable to make the beach, the helicopter impacted the water and rolled onto its right side about 75 yards from the shoreline and shortly afterwards became partially submerge
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.
