Aerospatiale AS-350D incident near Huelo, Hawaii, February 28, 1994
On February 28, 1994 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Aerospatiale AS-350D (helicopter), registered N5771L, suffered minor damage in an incident near Huelo, Hawaii. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE OPERATOR MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL'S INADEQUATE 100-HOUR INSPECTION. THE LOOSE FUEL CONTROL LINE FITTING, THE TREE STUMP, AND THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN WERE FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 1994 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Huelo, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerospatiale AS-350D · all AS-350Ds on the register
- Registration
- N5771L · registry record · serial 1343
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE DECELERATION DURING A LOCAL SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT. THE PILOT ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION AND LANDED IN A CONFINED AREA SURROUNDED BY VEGETATION. A TREE STUMP PENETRATED THE LEFT LOWER SECTION OF THE HELICOPTER. THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION AND POSTACCIDENT ENGINE RUN-UP REVEALED THE ENGINE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE MORE THAN 58 PERCENT AND THAT THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT LINE WAS LOOSE AND WAS LEAKING FUEL. THE OPERATOR REPLACED THE FUEL CONTROL UNIT 2 DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,449 hours in all; 1,375 in this make and model; 291 in the last 90 days; 103 in the last 30 days; 2,418 as pilot in command; 635 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,556 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 23, 1994; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming LTS101-600A3 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Operator: Papillon Helicopters INC.
The flight
- Departed from: 0GG Kahului HI at 5:45 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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 N5771L 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.