Hughes 369HS accident near Waimea, Hawaii, December 9, 1989
On December 9, 1989 at about 1:30 am local time, a Hughes 369HS (helicopter), registered N9161F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waimea, Hawaii. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE PC TUBE BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, WHICH RESULTED IN FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE TUBE DUE TO INDUCED BENDING STRESSES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 1989 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Waimea, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 369HS · all 369HSs on the register
- Registration
- N9161F · registry record · serial 8305115
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CERTIFICATED AIR LINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A HELICOPTER SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT WITH 4 PASSENGERS WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY AUTOROTATION TO THE BOTTOM OF A SMALL RIVER BOTTOM. WHILE LANDING, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE SHOWED THAT THE FUEL CONTROL PC TUBE TO THE POWER TURBINE GOVERNOR HAD FRACTURED, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO GO TO A FLIGHT IDLE CONDITION. THIS TUBE WAS FOUND TO EXCEED THE SPECIFIED REQUIRED LENGTH OF MANUFACTURE. DURING INSTALLATION, THE TUBE WAS BENT BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO FIT. METALLURGICAL EXAM DISCLOSED A FRACTURE DUE TO FATIGUE NEAR THE FUEL CONTROL END. THIS FATIGUE WAS INTRODUCED BY BENDING STRESSES IN THE TUBE.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command; 8,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,198 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 19, 1989; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Kaui, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: LIH Lihue HI
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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 LAX90LA050.