Aerospatiale AS350D accident near Hanalei, Hawaii, July 15, 1994
On July 15, 1994 at about 1:36 am local time, a Aerospatiale AS350D (helicopter), registered N151BH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hanalei, Hawaii. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people were killed; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE ENGINE-DRIVEN FUEL PUMP, WHICH RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF POWER, AND THE LACK OF AIRCRAFT FLOTATION EQUIPMENT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FLIGHT OVER WATER ADJACENT TO TERRAIN THAT AFFORDED NO SUITABLE FORCED LANDING SITE, AND THE LACK OF A PASSENGER BRIEFING BY THE OPERATOR ON THE LOCATION AND OPERATION OF LIFE PRESERVERS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 1994 · about 1:36 am local time
- Place
- Hanalei, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS350D · all AS350Ds on the register
- Registration
- N151BH · registry record · serial 1298
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER WAS ON A 14 CFR PART 135 AIR TOUR OPERATION WITH A PILOT & 6 PASSENGERS ABOARD. IT WAS FLYING PARALLEL TO THE SHORELINE WHEN A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OCCURRED. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION TO THE WATER ABOUT 150' FROM A CLIFF SHORELINE. THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH FLOATS. ALL OCCUPANTS EXITED THE HELICOPTER UNINJURED AS IT WAS SINKING. LIFE VESTS WERE ABOARD THE HELICOPTER, BUT WERE NOT WORN BY THE OCCUPANTS. THREE OF THE PASSENGERS MANAGED TO CLIMB ONTO ROCKS & WERE EVENTUALLY RESCUED BY HELICOPTER. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY HAD NOT BEEN BRIEFED THAT LIFE PRESERVERS WERE ABOARD THE HELICOPTER. THE OTHER FOUR OCCUPANTS WERE UNABLE TO CLIMB ONTO ROCKS ALONG THE SHORE. ONE OF THESE (A PASSENGER) WAS RESCUED BY PERSONNEL OF A BOAT. THE PILOT & THE OTHER TWO PASSENGERS DROWNED. THE HELICOPTER WAS RECOVERED FROM THE OCEAN. AN EXAM & TESTS OF COMPONENTS REVEALED THE INTERNAL DRIVE SPLINES OF THE ENGINE-DRIVEN FUEL PUMP (MFP-261) HAD WORN TO THE POINT OF SLIPPAGE. THIS FAILURE WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 12,800 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 319 in the last 90 days; 119 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,221 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 13, 1994; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming LTS-101-A3 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LIH Lihue HI
- Destination: LIH HI
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from LIH, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 4 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW94MA235.