Hughes 369D accident near Hanapepe, Hawaii, June 4, 2001
On June 4, 2001 at about 2:40 am local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N1109V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hanapepe, Hawaii. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power while in cruise flight resulting from the failure and liberation of several turbine blades due to hot corrosion effects which weakened the blades. The hot corrosion damage was the result of multiple turbine over temperature events which occurred over several flights. Contributing factors were the lack of suitable terrain, and high vegetation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2001 · about 2:40 am local time
- Place
- Hanapepe, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N1109V · no longer on the register · serial 1100858D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter experienced a loss of engine power while in cruise flight. The helicopter was on its way to a rugged area to rescue a person. The pilot indicated that the engine out warning system activated, and he autorotated to a creek after determining that he was unable to manually control the engine power. The pilot performed the autorotation landing to a steep and highly vegetated area. Post-accident examination of the engine revealed its turbine section sustained hot corrosion (sulfidation) damage, which reduced the cross sectional area of the airfoils. The degree of hot corrosion damage suggests that multiple over temperature events occurred over a number of flights. The reduced cross section resulted in the liberation of one or more of the airfoils in tensile overload. The failure of the airfoils resulted in secondary over temperature and failure of other airfoils in the turbine section and eventual turbine seizure. Examination of the TOT thermocouples revealed three of the four leads were broken; however, it could not be determined as to when the fractures occurred.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,103 hours in all; 585 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 93 in the last 30 days; 5,054 as pilot in command; 1,362 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 3, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,450.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 2, 2001; 0.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAK Hanapepe HI at 2:20 am
- Destination: Hanapepe HI
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; a few clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from KLIH, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.