Eurocopter AS-350-B2 accident near Lihue, Hawaii, February 1, 2001
On February 1, 2001 at about 7:18 pm local time, a Eurocopter AS-350-B2 (helicopter), registered N985SA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lihue, Hawaii (Lihue airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The manufacturer's inadequate collective lock design, which resulted in the collective unlocking during a preflight check and subsequent unintentional liftoff and loss of helicopter control. The pilot's loss of control was due in part to the unavailability of the hydraulic system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 2001 · about 7:18 pm local time
- Place
- Lihue, Hawaii · Lihue · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eurocopter AS-350-B2 · all AS-350-B2s on the register
- Registration
- N985SA · no longer on the register · serial 3111
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was performing a hydraulic accumulator test during the before takeoff check when the helicopter inadvertently lifted off. The hydraulic pressure had been bled off during the test, and the pilot could not regain control of the helicopter prior to it impacting the ground tail rotor first. The collective was locked down during the accumulator test; however, it became unlocked when the pilot was repositioning his hands to restore hydraulic power after the accumulator test. FAA inspectors indicated that the collective lock design allowed for the release of the collective when the cyclic was moved during the test with the hydraulic pressure depleted.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,438 hours in all; 7,632 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 11,747 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 30, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,093.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 3, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 4,961 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca 1D1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Safari Helicopter, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: LIH HI at 7:18 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from LIH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 N985SA 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.