Executive summary
On Tuesday 30 April 2002, at about 1630, New Zealand Helicopters Hughes 369D helicopter ZK-HRV was being flown on a scenic passenger flight from Mount Tarawera to the company base near Rotorua when engine trouble arose. Before the pilot could land the helicopter, the engine failed and he was forced to make an auto-rotational landing on difficult terrain, where the helicopter rolled over. None of the 4 occupants was injured in the accident.
The engine failed from oil starvation, following a fracture of a fitting in the oil line to the torque gauge.
A safety issue identified was the need for pilots and operators to better understand the torque gauge oil line system on this helicopter type.
Related Recommendations
Publish advisory information about the torque gauge oil line system on the Hughes 369 helicopter type, so that operators and pilots may better understand the significance of the system, and what the appropriate pilot response should be to an abnormal torque gauge indication in flight.