http://youtu.be/0sTTGlqZDx0
Well I'd say something went wrong here.....

Crazy how fast it rolled over. Water is scary in that scenario.

That got real quick.

Critically injured teenager. Sounds like everyone else is ok. Keep that kid in your thoughts and prayers.

Slight left yaw right before descent seems to indicate engine failure. I've done auto testing in that part of the H-V diagram. You have to react very quickly and with different techniques than a normal hovering auto or you'll quickly be on your way to a bad day. I'm going to keep my eye out for the accident report.

Once a helo hits the water it's likely going to roll over fast. All the weight is on top of the cabin.


Edit: just watched it again with audio. Sounds like the engine rpm increases as the left yaw and rotor rpm starts to fall. Maybe a drive train failure, like a main driveshaft or something.

Seems like the water may have saved them. That would have been scary on land the way it impacted. Prayers for the teenager.

Very tragic. God bless and speedy recovery. Good for water, it would of exploded on a harder surface.

There will be talk at the airport day...

The boy died in the crash. Terrible outcome:

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31267373/correction-to-downed-tour-helicopter-story

8GCBC wrote:The boy died in the crash. Terrible outcome:

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31267373/correction-to-downed-tour-helicopter-story

Actually, I think that link reads the other way around:

The 16-year-old boy involved in Thursday’s tour helicopter crash off the Arizona Memorial visitors center remains in critical condition.

Based on incorrect information from medical sources, Hawaii News Now reported Thursday afternoon the boy had died. We quickly revised our story after getting new information from hospital officials.

Hawaii News Now regrets the error.

8GCBC wrote:The boy died in the crash. Terrible outcome:

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31267373/correction-to-downed-tour-helicopter-story

That link currently says:

The 16-year-old boy involved in Thursday’s tour helicopter crash off the Arizona Memorial visitors center remains in critical condition.

Based on incorrect information from medical sources, Hawaii News Now reported Thursday afternoon the boy had died. We quickly revised our story after getting new information from hospital officials.

Hawaii News Now regrets the error

rw2 wrote:

8GCBC wrote:The boy died in the crash. Terrible outcome:

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31267373/correction-to-downed-tour-helicopter-story

That link currently says:

The 16-year-old boy involved in Thursday’s tour helicopter crash off the Arizona Memorial visitors center remains in critical condition.

Based on incorrect information from medical sources, Hawaii News Now reported Thursday afternoon the boy had died. We quickly revised our story after getting new information from hospital officials.

Hawaii News Now regrets the error

Go it. Thank you.

Pulling wreck from Pearl Harbor:
http://khon2.com/2016/02/19/helicopter-pulled-from-waters-near-arizona-memorial-after-crash/

I used to have a boat moored in Rainbow Bay (very close) next to the Ford Is. bridge.

Looks like Vortex Ring State aka Settling with Power to me.

G44 wrote:Looks like Vortex Ring State aka Settling with Power to me.

That's what I thought when I first saw the video. After watching it a few times you can hear the engine spool up.

Like Camtom12 said,some kind of drive shaft failure, or the freewheeling unit.

Thanks Ken and G44. I was wondering what happened. Mechanical failures are a real bummer. I hope they didn't fudge on maintenance or parts.

Cheers...Rob

On another forum, several knowledgeable about helos speculated about a short shaft failure, based on the engine sounds and apparent continued rotation of the tail rotor. That will probably come out quickly in the investigation.

Cary

Would the engine not spool up when the pilot pulls in an arm load of collective reacting to the settling with power? That would exacerbate the problem and accelerate the descent rate. Can't tell if he had a light tailwind. That would've put him at the slow airspeed and relatively near vertical descent necessary to enter a vortex ring state. Just a thought.

One thing is for sure, helicopter crashes go from just another Thursday to upside in the water awfully fast. I hate seeing these and its too bad the kid got badly injured.

http://khon2.com/2016/02/19/helicopter- ... e-crash-2/

The pilot was able to get a radio call in to the tower reporting a problem. My guess is he was attempting to get the aircraft on the ground when something let loose.

I flew tours on Oahu back in the 90's and where he went in is not where you would be landing with tourists. Looks like the visitor center where you get the boat out to the Arizona memorial.

These videos are very hard to tell what happened with out all the facts. I would think the NTSB should be able to figure this out fairly quickly. Of course it will take years to release the final report.

More circumstances:

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31268855/volunteer-air-tour-group-requires-floats-on-choppers

Here is the preliminary NTSB report. Pretty sad the kid died. Pop out floats could have saved his life. They are heavy and would have likely limited the helicopter to 3 paying passengers. Safety first right after profit. That being said I flew that same tour route for about a year with no floats. I was young and hungry.






NTSB Identification: WPR16FA072
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, February 18, 2016 in Honolulu, HI
Aircraft: BELL 206B, registration: N80918
Injuries: 1 Fatal, 3 Serious, 1 Minor.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On February 18, 2016, about 1020 Hawaiian standard time, a Bell 206B, N80918, was substantially damaged when it impacted water during an emergency landing near Honolulu, Hawaii. The helicopter was registered to a private individual and operated by Genesis Helicopters under provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a local air tour flight. The commercial pilot and 2 passengers sustained serious injuries, 1 passenger sustained minor injuries, and 1 passenger was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was filed for the local flight. The flight originated from the Honolulu International Airport (HLN), Honolulu, about 0935.

The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge, that while in cruise flight over Ford Island, he felt a vibration followed by a grinding noise. Shortly after, the pilot heard a loud bang, scanned the instrument panel and saw that the engine instruments indicated the engine was still running, however, rotor rpm decreasing. The pilot initiated an auto rotation to a grassy area near Contemplation Circle at the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. As the pilot neared his intended landing area, he observed multiple people within the area. The pilot stated he initiated a left pedal turn, attempting to land close to the shoreline. Subsequently, the helicopter descended rapidly into the water, about 20 feet from the shoreline.

Witnesses located at various locations at the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument reported observing the helicopter near their location traveling at a low altitude before it suddenly descended into the water.

Examination of the accident site revealed that the helicopter was submerged in about 40 feet of water, about 20 feet from the shoreline. The helicopter was removed from the water the day following the accident and was subsequently rinsed with fresh water. All major structural components of the helicopter were recovered. The wreckage was moved to a secure location for further examination.

Waterboy wrote:Pretty sad the kid died.

Agreed 100%. That really sucks.

Thanks for sharing the preliminary report.