Aerospatiale AS350B accident near Kahului, Hawaii, July 25, 1991
On July 25, 1991 at about 1:15 am local time, a Aerospatiale AS350B (helicopter), registered N766MP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kahului, Hawaii. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A NON-MECHANICAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION AND SUBSEQUENT HARD LANDING BY THE PILOT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A MALFUNCTIONING FUEL LOW LEVEL INDICATION SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 1991 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Kahului, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS350B · all AS350Bs on the register
- Registration
- N766MP · no longer on the register · serial 1301
- 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
THE SIGHTSEEING HELICOPTER LANDED HARD DURING AN AUTOROTATION TO SLOPING TERRAIN AFTER EXPERIENCING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND 2 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE TANKS. AFTERWARDS, FUEL WAS ADDED AND THE ENGINE STARTED NORMALLY WITH NO MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS NOTED. THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATION SYSTEM REVEALED A MALFUNCTION OF THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR LIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE CRASH.
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, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,205 hours in all; 346 in this make and model; 316 in the last 90 days; 94 in the last 30 days; 1,733 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,959 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 1991; 86 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Turbomeca ARRIEL 1B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Papillon Airways, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: OGG Kahului HI
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N766MP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.