Airbus AS350B2 N985SA
27 December 2019 · Kekaha, Hawaii, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 27 December 2019 at about 02:57 local time, a Airbus AS350B2 registered N985SA, operated by Safari Aviation Inc., was involved in an accident near Kekaha, Hawaii, United States. 7 people were on board and 7 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 02:57
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Kekaha, Hawaii, United States
- Coordinates
- 22.1617, -159.6264
- Aircraft
- Airbus AS350B2
- Registration
- N985SA
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1998
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Safari Aviation Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lihue → Lihue
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC20MA010
People
7 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to continue flight under visual flight rules (VFR) into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), which resulted in the collision into terrain. Contributing to the accident was Safari Aviation Inc.’s lack of safety management processes to identify hazards and mitigate the risks associated with factors that influence pilots to continue VFR flight into IMC. Also contributing to the accident was the Federal Aviation Administration’s delayed implementation of a Hawaii aviation weather camera program, its lack of leadership in the development of a cue-based weather training program for Hawaii air tour pilots, and its ineffective monitoring and oversight of Hawaii air tour operators’ weather-related operating practices.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
On December 26, 2019, about 1657 Hawaii standard time, an Airbus AS350 B2 helicopter, N985SA, was destroyed when it collided into terrain in a remote, wooded area about 11 miles north of Kekaha, Hawaii, on the island of Kauai. The pilot and the six passengers were fatally injured. Safari Aviation Inc. (Safari), doing business as Safari Helicopters, operated the flight as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135 on-demand air tour under visual flight rules (VFR).
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Aug 2019 | Cessna 208B | Lahaina, Hawaii, United States | Mokulele Airlines | No injuries | - |
| 20 Mar 2019 | Air Creation TANARG | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Jul 2019 | Cessna TU206 | Waikoloa Village, Hawaii, United States | Aerial Imaging Inc | No injuries | - |
| 16 Apr 2019 | MD Helicopters 369 | Hauula, Hawaii, United States | K & S Helicopters Inc | No injuries | - |
| 29 Apr 2019 | Robinson R44 | Kailua, Hawaii, United States | Novictor Aviation LLC | Fatal | 3 |
| 31 Oct 2019 | Cessna 208 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | Corporate Air | No injuries | - |