Bell 206B accident near Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, August 23, 1987
On August 23, 1987 at about 6:38 pm local time, a Bell 206B (helicopter), registered N2777R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries; 4 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
- August 23, 1987 · about 6:38 pm local time
- Place
- Kailua-Kona, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206B · all 206Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2777R · registry record · serial 2813
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS THE HELICOPTER WAS CLIMBING OVER RISING TERRAIN AT 300' TO 400' AGL, THE PLT NOTED ALTIMETER & AIRSPEED INDCNS OF 8700' & 60 MPH. AFTER CLIMBING AN ADNL 2 MIN TO APRX 10,000' (12,000' DENSITY ALT), HE NOTICED THE ROTOR RPM WAS BLEEDING OFF. HE MADE A 180 DEG RGT TURN & HEADED DOWN SLOPE, BUT THE HELICOPTER 'CRASH LANDED' AT THE 8500' LEVEL. THE PLT RPRTD THE WINDS WERE FROM THE NW AT 5 KTS & THE TEMP WAS 60 DEG F. APRX 26 MI NW AT KAILUA-KONA, THE 1750 WIND WAS FROM 030 DEG AT 7 KTS. ACCORDING TO WT & BALANCE RECORDS, THE ACFT WAS LOADED TO 3171 LBS (28 LBS UNDER MAX WT LMT).CALCULATIONS SHOWED THE HELICOPTER WOULD HAVE HAD TO CLIMB AT A RATE OF 616'/MIN TO MAINT A 60 MPH CLIMB OVER THE TRRN. ACCORDING TO THE FLT MANUAL, AT 3171 LBS, THE HELICOPTER'S MAX RATE OF CLIMB AT 10,000' WITH 60 DEG AIR TEMP WOULD HAVE BEEN 450'/MIN. ALSO, THE MANUAL SHOWED THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT ABLE TO HOVER OUT OF GROUND EFFECT AT AN ALT & TEMP OF 10,000' & 60 DEG, WHEN THE GROSS WT WAS AT OR ABOVE 2800 LBS. NO PREIMPACT MECH PROBLEMS WERE FND.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,278 hours in all; 1,910 in this make and model; 224 in the last 90 days; 82 in the last 30 days; 4,636 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,633 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 21, 1987; 4 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: KOA Kailua-Kona HI at 6:00 pm
- Destination: KOA
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from KOA, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
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.