Bell 206L accident near Lihue, Hawaii, September 17, 1988
On September 17, 1988 at about 1:10 am local time, a Bell 206L (helicopter), registered N278KA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lihue, Hawaii (Lihue airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. 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
- September 17, 1988 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Lihue, Hawaii · Lihue · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 206L · all 206Ls on the register
- Registration
- N278KA · no longer on the register · serial 46613
- 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
DURING A LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH FOR LANDING, THE AUDIO AND LIGHT FOR LOW RPM SOUNDED AND ILLUMINATED. THE HELICOPTER WAS AUTOROTATED. IT INITIALLY BOUNCED WHEN IT TOUCHED DOWN, THEN LANDED HARD. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND PLACED ON A TEST CELL. ALL ENGINE PARAMETERS EXCLUDING THE SEAL VENT PRESSURE, WERE FOUND TO BE WITHIN LIMITS AS RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER. AFTER CHANGING THE VENT ORIFICE FROM A NO. 2 TO A NO. 4 THE DISCREPANCY WAS CORRECTED.
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: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 8,021 hours in all; 6,051 in this make and model; 291 in the last 90 days; 91 in the last 30 days; 7,727 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,395 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 5, 1988; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kenai Air Of Hawaii INC
The flight
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.