Accidents
Final Report: Faulty Maintenance cited in fatal crash
Aerospatiale AS 350-BA, Princeville, Hawaii, March 8, 2007–The NTSB determined the probable cause of the AS 350 crash was the failure of maintenance person

Aerospatiale AS 350-BA, Princeville, Hawaii, March 8, 2007–The NTSB determined the probable cause of the AS 350 crash was the failure of maintenance personnel to properly tighten (torque) the flight control servo lower attachment clevis and reinstall a functioning lock washer, which resulted in a flight control disconnect and complete loss of helicopter control. The operator’s failure to ensure its maintenance program was being executed in accordance with federal regulations contributed to the accident, in which the ATP-rated pilot and three passengers were killed and three passengers were seriously injured.

The pilot was returning from a sightseeing flight and called the dispatcher to report a hydraulic problem. He then called it a hydraulic failure,
flew to the end of the runway, where the passenger terminal was located, and the helicopter hit the ground.