ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 36904
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| Date: | Sunday 18 May 1997 |
| Time: | 11:45 LT |
| Type: |  Bell 206B JetRanger |
| Owner/operator: | Tetsuro E. Sugiyama |
| Registration: | N98AW |
| MSN: | 3214 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1980 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 14115 hours |
| Engine model: | Allison 250-C20J |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Hilo, Hawaii, HI -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Kona, HI (KOA) |
| (KITO) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The noninstrument-rated pilot filed a company visual flight plan for a ferry flight from Kona to Hilo, Hawaii, but obtained no preflight weather briefing. Meteorological conditions along the intended route of flight were variable from visual to instrument conditions. There was a 7,000 foot overcast overlaying the destination and the eastern portion of the route. A first officer for Hawaiian Airlines stated that he and the captain observed a helicopter 15 to 20 miles west of Hilo on top of an overcast and that the pilot appeared to be searching for a visual path through the clouds. The first officer stated that at that time, there were no holes in the clouds that he could see and that Hilo was under a solid overcast. The aircraft collided with mountainous terrain at 6,500 feet.
Probable Cause: the noninstrument-rated pilot flew into instrument conditions and failed to maintain adequate terrain clearance, while attempting to descend through an overcast. The adverse weather conditions and mountainous terrain were related factors.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX97LA185
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 09-Jun-2023 14:42 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]] |
| 08-Apr-2024 15:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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