Bell 206B accident near Laupahoehoe, Hawaii, April 15, 1987
On April 15, 1987 at about 11:12 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N370AH, was destroyed in an accident near Laupahoehoe, Hawaii. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. 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 15, 1987 · about 11:12 pm local time
- Place
- Laupahoehoe, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N370AH · no longer on the register · serial 1314
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE BELL 206B AND HIS THREE PASSENGERS ARRIVED OVER A BEACHED BARGE THAT THEY WERE TO LAND ON. THE PILOT HOVERED OVER THE BARGE IN A LEFT QUARTERING TAILWIND OF ABOUT 10 KNOTS AND OVER A MODERATE SEA WITH WAVES BREAKING AGAINST THE BARGE. THE TWO REAR SEAT PASSENGERS WERE DEPLANED WITHOUT INCIDENT THROUGH THE RIGHT REAR DOOR AS THE HELICOPTER HOVERED WITH THE RIGHT SKID RESTING ON A STRUCTURE ON THE BARGE. AFTERWARD, ONE OF THE DEPLANED PASSENGERS OBSERVED A WAVE BREAK AGAINST THE BARGE AND WATER SPRAYING UPWARD ONTO THE HELICOPTER. BOTH DEPLANED PASSENGERS OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER ROLL LEFT AND IMPACT THE WATER. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT FLOTATION GEAR WAS AVAILABLE TO THE CREW OR PASSENGERS.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,160 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 241 in the last 90 days; 5,980 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,241 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 7, 1987; 88 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hilo Bay Air, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ITO Hilo HI at 10:40 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:10 pm from ITO, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.