Beech E18S accident near Mount Haleakala, HI
On April 23, 1992, a Beech E18S (airplane) was involved in an accident near Mount Haleakala, HI. 9 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 23, 1992
- Place
- Mount Haleakala, HI
- Aircraft
- Beech E18S · Airplane
- Injuries
- 9 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 20.851°N, 156.319°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X14469
Official records · LAX92MA184
- Investigation page: status, final report and safety recommendations
NTSB summary
History of the Flight On April 22, 1992, at about 1553 hours Hawaiian standard daylight time, a Beech E-18S, N342E, operated by Scenic Air Tours, Inc., as Scenic 22, collided with mountainous terrain on the Island of Maui, in the Haleakala National park, near Makawao, Hawaii. The airplane was destroyed by impact and a post impact fire. The certificated airline transport pilot and eight passengers received fatal injuries. The airplane was being operated as a scenic tour flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 135 when the accident occurred. The flight originated in Hilo, Hawaii, at 1512 hours for a return flight to Honolulu, Hawaii, as a completion of a tour that departed Honolulu at 0700 hours. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed. The operator reported the flight overdue at 1657 hours. The airplane wreckage was located at about 0630 hours, by search personnel on April 23, 1992, about one mile east of Magnetic Peak, near the summit of the Haleakala Crater. The accident location is in an area of volcanic boulders, on downsloping terrain on the south rim of the crater at about 9,660 feet, mean sea level. Scenic 22 was marketed as Tour No. 5, the "Volcano Special". After Departing Honolulu, the flight was planned to proceed eastbound along the north shore of the islands of Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii, landing at Hilo at about 0900 hours. On the accident date, the route of flight from Honolulu to Hilo for Scenic 22 differed from the planned route, as a landing in Maui was conducted to drop off a van driver employed by the c
Probable cause
THE CAPTAIN'S DECISION TO CONTINUE VISUAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS THAT OBSCURED RISING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND HIS FAILURE TO PROPERLY USE AVAILABLE NAVIGATIONAL INFORMATION TO REMAIN CLEAR OF THE ISLAND OF MAUI. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF SCENIC AIR TOURS TO CONDUCT SUBSTANTIVE PILOT PREEMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND SCREENING, AND THE FAILURE OF THE FEDERAL A
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Browse: Hawaii · Beech aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
