Mcdonnell Douglas 369D accident near Hauula, Hawaii, July 21, 1995
On July 21, 1995 at about 10:27 pm local time, a Mcdonnell Douglas 369D (helicopter), registered N1090S, was destroyed in an accident near Hauula, Hawaii. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's poor judgement by intentionally flying into adverse weather conditions in mountainous terrain with an external load and no observer which resulted in loss of aircraft control. Factors were pressure from the conditions/events and a lack of total experience in the type of operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 1995 · about 10:27 pm local time
- Place
- Hauula, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Mcdonnell Douglas 369D
- Registration
- N1090S · no longer on the register · serial 800788D
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HELICOPTER PILOT WAS FLYING WITHOUT AN OBSERVER. HE WAS INSERTING TWO POLICE OFFICERS WHO WERE IN A RESCUE NET 50 FEET BELOW THE HELICOPTER, INTO MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN TO SEARCH FOR A MISSING HIKER. DETERIORATING WEATHER AND CLOUD COVER WITH TURBULENCE WAS PRESENT. GROUND PERSONNEL WARNED THE PILOT THREE TIMES OF THE DETERIORATING CONDITIONS. A WITNESS STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS PARTIALLY IN THE CLOUDS BUT THE NET WAS IN THE CLEAR. HIKERS IN A CANYON NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE OBSERVED THE NET SWINGING LIKE A PENDULUM THROUGH AN ARC OF 45 TO 50 DEGREES. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE LINE WHICH SECURED THE NET TO THE HELICOPTER BECAME ENTANGLED WITH THE MAIN ROTOR AND WAS FOUND WRAPPED AROUND THE MAIN ROTOR MAST AND ALL THE MAIN ROTOR PITCH CHANGE LINKS WERE FACTURED. THE HELICOPTER PILOT'S FIRE DEPARTMENT RECORDS INDICATED HE HAD 511 HOURS OF HELICOPTER TIME WITH 2500 HOURS OF FIXED WING TIME. RECORDS WERE RECOVERED TO DOCUMENT ABOUT 261 HOURS OF ACTUAL HELICOPTER TIME. THE PILOT HAD RECEIVED ABOUT 50 HOURS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF PILOT IN THEIR TYPE OF OPERATIONS.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,400 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,592 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 18, 1995; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: NONE HI at 10:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 0.4 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.