Hughes 369D accident near Kihei, Hawaii, May 16, 2005
On May 16, 2005 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N611WA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kihei, Hawaii. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
the partial loss of engine power due to fuel contamination. The fuel contamination was due to the failure of the maintenance personnel to ensure that the helicopter's fuel system had been thoroughly cleaned after a known previous contamination event, and the failure of company line personnel to follow the daily quality assurance checks on the company's remote based fuel supply.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2005 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Kihei, 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
- N611WA · no longer on the register · serial 590517D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed an autorotation to a rocky shoreline following a partial loss of engine power during cruise flight. The helicopter's tail rotor blades impacted the ground when the helicopter slid aft on the slippery rocks following a successful landing. Post accident examination of the helicopter revealed the fuel system had been contaminated. Two days prior to the accident flight, the helicopter was examined after a fuel sample was found contaminated; however, the entire fuel system, specifically, the fuel tank, was not examined and cleaned. According to the manufacturer, if the helicopter experiences a fuel contamination, the corrective action is to "inspect and clean the fuel cell and start pump inlet screens if large amounts of foreign material are found in the engine driven fuel pump filter (or the optional airframe fuel filter if installed)." The accident helicopter was not equipped with the optional airframe fuel filter. Following the accident, the fuel tank cells were examined and contamination was noted in the tank and the fuel pump inlet screen and outlet. The contaminated fuel was introduced to the fuel system 2 days prior to the accident. The fuel came from a remotely located fuel tank that had a broken fuel tank cover, which allowed water and contaminants to enter the tank. The person who fueled the helicopter from the contaminated tank was not trained in the company's policy to conduct a daily quality assurance check, and had not sumped the tank, filters, and hoses.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 19,035 hours in all; 12,601 in this make and model; 137 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,824.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 1, 2005; 12.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,570 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGG Kahului HI at 9:09 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 25 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N611WA 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.