A hard landing by a tour helicopter with seven people onboard on Maui in 2014 was caused by a bad pressure fitting on the engine, apparently worn down from repeated loosening and tightening during required maintenance, the National Transportation and Safety Board said in a report released Thursday.

A Sunshine Helicopters pilot made the hard landing on June 17, 2014, at about 1:30 p.m., just 10 minutes after leaving Kahului Airport.

The pilot reported he had a partial loss of power, so he entered an autorotation, a technique allowing air to turn the rotors and allowing the craft to land safely. The pilot landed hard in tall grass, and the impact damaged the fuselage and tail boom, the report said. No one was injured.

The NTSB said the engine from the Airbus AS 350 BA helicopter was shipped to the engine manufacturer for testing.

Experts found the engine undamaged but unable to reach maximum speed. Upon inspection they found the fuel line fitting was broken. They replaced it, and the engine passed a performance test. The manufacturer said the problem should not have occurred if the proper torque had been used with the filter, but as an added safety measure, it increased the part’s strength with a thicker wall.

The helicopter had undergone a 100-hour inspection only three hours before the crash.

KAUAI

Garden Isle whale spotters report 2 every 15 minutes

POIPU, Kauai >> The final 2017 Sanctuary Ocean Count took place Saturday under sunny and clear skies, although some late-morning wind created chop and whitecaps that hindered the sightings of whales.

But that didn’t keep the numbers from being good.

“Overall, sightings of humpback whales at the Kauai sites was higher than expected for a March count,” said Jean Souza, Kauai programs coordinator for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

“Based on the informal tally, Kauai sites averaged two whales per 15-minute count period. This is nearly double the average number of whales sighted on Oahu and Hawaii island.”

Cindy Among-Serraro, Sanctuary Ocean Count coordinator on Oahu, said more than 380 volunteers gathered data at 48 sites on the shores of Oahu, Kauai and Hawaii island on Saturday.

A total of 85 whale sightings were recorded from 8:30 to 8:45 a.m. — the most of any time period during the day’s count.

Kauai’s two whale sightings per quarter-hour topped the one sighting each per quarter-hour reported by Oahu and Hawaii counters.

Souza said volunteers at North Shore sites, including the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge — Kilauea Lighthouse (four sightings per 15-minute count period) and Crater Hill (five sightings per 15-minute count period) — and The Cliffs at Princeville sighted more whales Saturday than they did during the Feb. 25 count. These were among the top sites for March.

Ed Schepker, site leader at Kaiwa Point, Poipu, reported a mother whale and calf at that site.

“Occasionally a singleton would join the pair,” Souza said. “Mom and calves normally prefer the protected nearshore areas. Mike Kano, the site leader at Ninini Lighthouse, similarly observed a mom and calf deep within Kalapaki Bay before the count.”

The Ocean Count promotes public awareness about humpback whales, the sanctuary and shore-based whale-watching opportunities.

The count is conducted three times each year during the peak whale-sighting season.