Mcdonnell Douglas 369FF accident near Haena, Hawaii, March 11, 2007
On March 11, 2007 at about 10:59 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas 369FF (helicopter), registered N911VC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Haena, Hawaii. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fatigue failure of the tail rotor blade root fitting due to a manufacturing defect which resulted in the separation of the tail rotor system and loss of tail rotor control. A contributing factor to the accident were the trees that the helicopter struck during the autorotation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 2007 · about 10:59 pm local time
- Place
- Haena, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 3 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas 369FF
- Registration
- N911VC · registry record · serial 0049FF
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter pilot reported that he was conducting a Part 135 air tour flight with 4 passengers on board the helicopter. The helicopter was about 1,500 feet above ground level with about 80 - 85 knots of airspeed when within a split-second he heard two loud "bangs." The nose of the helicopter pitched down and the helicopter yawed to the right. He applied left pedal but without effect. He attempted to "get more forward airspeed," but each time he did the helicopter nosed over and yawed to the right. The right yaw developed into a tight spin, and he realized that he "lost his tail rotor." The pilot executed an autorotation to a clearing located at a campground. The helicopter impacted the trees at the western edge of the clearing during the autorotation. The helicopter impacted the terrain on its right, front side. Inspection of the helicopter revealed that the tail rotor output shaft and the tail rotor blades separated from the tail rotor gearbox. The tail rotor assembly was inspected at the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory. The inspection revealed that the tail rotor blade assembly fractured through the root fitting in the general area that coincided with a hole for the blade retention bolt. The root fitting contained a 1-inch nominal diameter longitudinal hub bore with a tapered (conical) hole bottom. A relief radius was located between the hub bore and the conical hole bottom. The inspection revealed crack arrest marks typical of a fatigue cracking that emanated from multiple origins at the relief radius between the hub bore and conical hole bottom. The relief radius measured approximately 0.001 inch, much less than specified by the engineering drawing (0.12 inch and 0.15 inch). On April 26, 2007, McDonnell Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) issued mandatory Service Bulletin (SB) 369D-204, 369E-099, 369F-084, 369H-247, titled "Tail Rotor Blade Assembly, One Time Inspection." According to MDHI SB, before further flight, the tail rotor should be removed from helicopter models 369 (Army YOH-6A), 369 (Army OH-6A), 369H, 369HM, 369HS, 369HE, 369D, 369E, 369F, and 369FF. The hub bore should be visually examined with a flashlight. If the relief radius does not contain a smooth transition between the bore and conical bottom hole, the root fitting should be removed from service. On April 27, 2007, the Federal Aviation Administration issued emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2007-09-51 that mandated inspection of the root fittings per the MDHI SB.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,041 hours in all; 189 in this make and model; 248 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days; 1,981 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,799 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 1, 2007; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C30 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Inter-Island Helicopter Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: PAK Hanapepe HI at 10:10 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,700 ft; scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from PHLI, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N911VC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.