Mechanic intends to replace aircraft ruined by crash landing

Brant Swigart says he will make good on his promise to replace the helicopter that crash-landed on Fort Street last month, as well as the car that it damaged — even if it results in the demise of his company.

"I’m guessing it’s going to cost somewhere between $80,000 and $100,000 or so," said Swigart, who owns the three-person Hawaii Air Power Labs Inc., which performs maintenance for Mauna Loa Helicopters. "That’s just a guess right now."

On the afternoon of May 8, a Mauna Loa two-seater 1992 Robinson R22 Beta helicopter skidded and crashed into a parked Mazda after it lost power. Both the pilot and her passenger escaped serious injury after the pilot skillfully landed the helicopter on Fort Street.

Swigart said the day after the crash that he would take responsibility because he and an employee of his company failed to notice that a cable was rigged incorrectly, causing it to snap.

He gave both the media and the National Transportation Safety Board statements to that effect.

He also promised to pay to replace both the helicopter and the car.

Asked how that expense would affect his business, Swigart said, "I may go under. … It’s been a real tight­rope for the last couple of years anyhow. It could be the straw that breaks this camel’s back."

His spirits recently have been buoyed, however.

"I’ve been asked by a lot of people not to give up, so I think I’ll probably stick it through," he said.

Rather than buy a brand-new helicopter, Swigart and Mauna Loa Helicopters President Ben Fouts have agreed that Hawaii Air Power Labs will rebuild a helicopter with spare and new parts.

"It works out a whole lot better," Swigart said. "That way it’s all my labor. It’s less expensive."

Fouts said both companies save money by bypassing the insurance companies.

"It won’t be as difficult, and we can rebuild one with new components," Fouts said. "The components alone can be pretty pricey, especially the main motor blades. Luckily, we have a surplus aircraft ready to be rebuilt."

Fouts said he has complete confidence in Swigart’s abilities and will continue to use him as his mechanic.

"He’s never let us down," he said. "Mistakes happen, whether it’s mechanics, pilots or students."

Fouts, who’s known Swigart for 16 years, said he’s appreciative but not surprised by his decision to take responsibility.

"He’s always been a stand-up guy," Fouts said.

Swigart said his main reason for accepting the burden was that he didn’t like the possibility that attention was being focused on Mauna Loa’s crash record when the crash was not the company’s fault.

"They’re a much bigger company with a lot of employees, and people would have gotten hurt by this," he said. "People would have lost their livelihoods."

As for the Mazda, owner Matthew Lau is being paid by the insurance company and Swigart will compensate the insurers, Swigart said.

"It turns out it would be less complicated for them to pay him, and for me to pay them," Swigart said.

Meanwhile, a friend set up an online fund­raising site to help pay for Swigart’s expenses. As of Saturday, it had raised $2,405.

Swigart said he was initially against accepting donations.

"It seemed too opportunistic," he said. But friends persuaded him to accept.

"I’m not really in a position to reject any kind of help right now," he said.

Partly because there are few helicopter mechanics in Hawaii, Swigart’s business has not been affected by the incident.

Rather, he said, "everybody’s been real supportive."

Nonetheless, the incident happened at a down time for the industry.

The father of three, one of whom is 31⁄2, Swigart said has no regrets about his decision to step up and take responsibility for the crash.

"It’s more important that people take responsibility for the things that they do," he said. People have told him that his actions inspired them and "gave a lot of people hope, that there’s more dignity in taking accountability rather than hiding."