The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB WAS02WA046 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Bell 206B (II) accident near Dhoyntji, As, June 5, 2002

On June 5, 2002, a Bell 206B (II) (helicopter), registered VHPHQ, was destroyed in an accident near Dhoyntji. It was an aerial observation flight under non-U.S. private rules. 4 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.

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
June 5, 2002
Place
Dhoyntji, American Samoa
Type
Accident
Injuries
4 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Bell 206B (II) · all 206B (II)s on the register
Registration
VHPHQ · no longer on the register
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Aerial observation flight · non-U.S. private rules

The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English

The aircraft

  • Landing gear: fixed
  • Operator: Laynhapuy Homelands Assoc INC

The flight

  • Flight plan: not recorded

Weather at the time

  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Crew1
Passengers31

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.