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Pilot of sightseeing helicopter lands off airport when engine chip light activates. Possible penetration of restr area while seeking emergency landing site.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 403581 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199805 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bsf |
| State Reference | HI |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 6500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : bsf |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 4250 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 403581 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
I was flying a sightseeing tour on the big island of hawaii. As I was in cruise flight on my way to kilauea volcano, I encountered a cloud back on the east side of mauna LOA. Turning around to find another way around, I encountered an engine chip light. With old lava flows under me, I chose to fly a couple of mi to the north and land next to a roadway. After shutting down, I called my office for maintenance personnel. After reviewing an air chart, I could have been on the edge of the R3103 restr area. After reviewing the chip plug by maintenance and ground running the aircraft, there were no further chip plugs. It's not clear by looking on a sectional if I was in restr airspace or not, but I needed to land and inspect the helicopter. I was on the ground for approximately 1 1/2 hours. The helicopter was returned to service by maintenance and I flew it back down to the hotel resort.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF SIGHTSEEING HELI LANDS OFF ARPT WHEN ENG CHIP LIGHT ACTIVATES. POSSIBLE PENETRATION OF RESTR AREA WHILE SEEKING EMER LNDG SITE.
Narrative: I WAS FLYING A SIGHTSEEING TOUR ON THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII. AS I WAS IN CRUISE FLT ON MY WAY TO KILAUEA VOLCANO, I ENCOUNTERED A CLOUD BACK ON THE E SIDE OF MAUNA LOA. TURNING AROUND TO FIND ANOTHER WAY AROUND, I ENCOUNTERED AN ENG CHIP LIGHT. WITH OLD LAVA FLOWS UNDER ME, I CHOSE TO FLY A COUPLE OF MI TO THE N AND LAND NEXT TO A ROADWAY. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN, I CALLED MY OFFICE FOR MAINT PERSONNEL. AFTER REVIEWING AN AIR CHART, I COULD HAVE BEEN ON THE EDGE OF THE R3103 RESTR AREA. AFTER REVIEWING THE CHIP PLUG BY MAINT AND GND RUNNING THE ACFT, THERE WERE NO FURTHER CHIP PLUGS. IT'S NOT CLR BY LOOKING ON A SECTIONAL IF I WAS IN RESTR AIRSPACE OR NOT, BUT I NEEDED TO LAND AND INSPECT THE HELI. I WAS ON THE GND FOR APPROX 1 1/2 HRS. THE HELI WAS RETURNED TO SVC BY MAINT AND I FLEW IT BACK DOWN TO THE HOTEL RESORT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.