Hughes 369D accident near Lahaina, Hawaii, August 13, 2006
On August 13, 2006 at about 2:45 am local time, a Hughes 369D (helicopter), registered N114HD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lahaina, Hawaii. It was a public-use flight (local) under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to shut down the engine prior to exiting the helicopter resulting in the tail rotor contacting the ground. A contributing factor was the gusting wind conditions present at the accident site.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 2006 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Lahaina, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369D · all 369Ds on the register
- Registration
- N114HD · registry record · serial 280261D
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (local) · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed in a flat grass covered field for the purpose of removing a long line and bambi bucket used in firefighting operations. Following touchdown, the pilot rolled the throttle to flight idle, and applied the frictions for the cyclic and collective. The wind conditions at the time were from 060 degrees at 19 knots gusting to 25 knots. After the pilot exited the helicopter, a gust of wind caught the unattended rotor disk, and tilted it, causing the helicopter to tilt rearward on its skids. The pilot returned to the controls just as the tail rotor made contact with the ground. He leveled the helicopter, brought the engine back to flight idle, and initiated a hover. The pilot stated that after he performed several pedal turns and noticed no control hindrance, he elected to return to Kahului. The helicopter sustained substantial damage consisting of damaged tail rotor blades and a bent and twisted tail rotor system drive shaft.
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: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,200 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 5,060 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,168 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 1, 2006; 72 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGG Kahului HI at 2:00 am
- Destination: OGG Kahului HI
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 19 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 am from OGG, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 LAX06TA259.