Bell 206-L1 accident near Kailua/Kona, Hawaii, April 20, 1985
On April 20, 1985 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Bell 206-L1 (helicopter), registered N478KA, was destroyed in an accident near Kailua/Kona, Hawaii. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 7 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 1985 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Kailua/Kona, Hawaii
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 7 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206-L1 · all 206-L1s on the register
- Registration
- N478KA · no longer on the register · serial 45179
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A REVENUE SIGHT-SEEING HELICOPTER FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR 91 COLLIDED WITH LAVA ROCK WHILE ATTEMPTING A FORCED LANDING ON THE SUMMIT OF MUANA LOA VOLCANO AFTER A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE IN A SHALLOW DOWNWIND TURN AT APRX 200 FT AGL & AN AIRSPEED OF ABOUT 40 MPH, THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SETTLE WHILE HE CONTINUED TO ADD POWER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOO LOW TO INCREASE AIRSPEED. AFTER HITTING THE LAVA ROCK, THE HELICOPTER SKIDDED 12 FEET, TURNED TO THE RIGHT, & ROLLED OVER TO THE LEFT. BOTH THE FLT CONTROLS & THE ENG FUNCTIONED TO TOUCHDOWN. TESTS DISCLOSED NO DISCREPANCIES IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE HEIGHT-VELOCITY DIAGRAM HAS ONLY BEEN TESTED TO A DENSITY ALT OF 10,000 FT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT A DENSITY ALT OF 15,500 FT. IT DOES NOT APPLY ABOVE A DENSITY ALT OF 5,400 FT AT A GROSS WEIGHT OF 3,600 LBS, THE ESTIMATED WEIGHT OF THE HELICOPTER AT THE ACCIDENT SITE.
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; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,021 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 7,986 as pilot in command; 4,711 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,267 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 16, 1985; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,150 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C28B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Kailua/Kona HI at 4:30 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.