McDonnell Douglas 369FF N530RL
16 July 2004 · Lihue, Hawaii, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 16 July 2004 at about 02:00 local time, a McDonnell Douglas 369FF registered N530RL, operated by Pacific Aviation International Inc, was involved in an accident near Lihue, Hawaii, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 02:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Lihue, Hawaii, United States
- Coordinates
- 21.9758, -159.3389
- Aircraft
- McDonnell Douglas 369FF
- Registration
- N530RL
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Pacific Aviation International Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Hanapepe → Lihue
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX04CA268
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot misjudging the clearance between the tree and the main rotor blades. Contributing factors to the accident were the high workload of the pilot and his lack of experience with bambi bucket operations.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The main rotor contacted a tree during firefighting operations. The pilot completed an emergency landing, and the helicopter rolled onto its side. The pilot was maneuvering the helicopter slowly toward a fire, almost in a hovering condition. The pilot's attention was focused on the bucket attached to the helicopter, and the clearance between the bucket and the trees. Just after he initiated the water release, the main rotor blades impacted a tree. The pilot felt that the accident was a result of his focused attention on the bucket and his failure to see the limited clearance between the tree and the main rotor blades. The pilot noted no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter, nor were any found during a examination by an FAA inspector. The pilot's total bambi bucket experience was 10 hours, and he dumped 60 buckets over a 2-hour period the day of the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other McDonnell Douglas 369 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Feb 2004 | McDonnell Douglas 369FF | Mesa, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Aug 2004 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Ochopee, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 2003 | McDonnell Douglas 369D | Volcano, Hawaii, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 25 Jun 2003 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Big Timber, Montana, United States | USDA APHIS Wildlife Services | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Sep 2005 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Medford, Oregon, United States | Brim Aviation | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Apr 2003 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Plentywood, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jan 2004 | Scott RV-8A | Lihue, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 2004 | Bell 206B | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 8 Dec 2004 | Piper PA-28-161 | Kapolei, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Dec 2004 | Schweizer SGS 1-26B | Waialua, Hawaii, United States | Honolulu Soaring Club | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jan 2004 | Cessna 414A | Laupahoehoe, Hawaii, United States | Hawaii Air Ambulance | Fatal | 3 |
| 21 Apr 2004 | Cessna 208 | Kalaupapa, Hawaii, United States | Pacific Wings | Minor injuries | - |