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WPR14CA375

2014-09-13 · Kahului, Maui, Hawaii, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport OGG

Current FAA registration · N197BH

Make / Model
EUROCOPTER AS 350 B2
Year of manufacture
1992 · 22 years old at event
Engine
TURBOMECA ARRIEL 1SER (681 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19980319
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A1824D

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the cart while hovering. Contributing to the accident was the failure of ground personnel to remove the cart from the helipad.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, a cart that housed an auxiliary power unit was positioned near the helicopter and used to start it's engine. After engine start, ground personnel did not remove the cart from the helipad. The pilot reported that shortly after lift off to a hover, to perform track and balance checks, the tail rotor struck the forward portion of the cart. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and tail rotor. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. According to the pilot, a cart that housed an auxiliary power unit was positioned near the helicopter and used to start its engine. After engine start, ground personnel did not remove the cart from the helipad. The pilot reported that shortly after lift off to a hover, to perform track and balance checks, the tail rotor struck the forward portion of the cart. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and tail rotor. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot - C
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Forgotten action/omission-Ground crew - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Ground vehicle-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2014_WPR14CA375.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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