Bell 206B accident near Waialeale,Kauai, Hawaii, July 23, 2003
On July 23, 2003 at about 6:52 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N37741, was destroyed in an accident near Waialeale,Kauai, Hawaii. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 5 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance/altitude while descending over mountainous terrain, and his continued flight into adverse weather. Factors contributing to the accident were clouds and a low ceiling.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2003 · about 6:52 pm local time
- Place
- Waialeale,Kauai, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N37741 · no longer on the register · serial 1695
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Title 14, CFR part 135 helicopter air tour flight was entering a mountainous crater. A passenger's videotape showed that the flight was initially performed in visual meteorological conditions, but as the helicopter approached the crater's 5,000-foot msl rim, its proximity to the clouds decreased, and the videotape ended. The videotape showed that the clouds were both above and below the helicopter. Recorded radar data, which ended about the time of the crash, showed that during the final few seconds of flight, the pilot maneuvered over the area, and its ground speed decreased from about 100 to 5 knots. Within the last 14 seconds of flight a descent was initiated, which increased in vertical speed to 2,000 feet per minute. The helicopter collided with the interior wall of the crater, and tumbled down slope, destroying the helicopter. Based upon flight path, terrain gradient and structural damage signatures, NTSB calculations indicated that the helicopter initially contacted the mountainside with a skid while descending in at least a 45-degree nose low pitch attitude. The engine and airframe wreckage were recovered, and no evidence of a mechanical malfunction was found.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,684 hours in all; 8,674 in this make and model; 292 in the last 90 days; 81 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,170 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 1, 2003; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LIH Lihue, Kauai HI at 6:03 pm
- Destination: LIH
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from LIH, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.