Airborne Windsport Edge XT-912-L accident near Hanapepe, HI
On February 15, 2011, an Airborne Windsport Edge XT-912-L was involved in an accident near Hanapepe, HI. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 15, 2011
- Place
- Hanapepe, HI
- Aircraft
- Airborne Windsport Edge XT-912-L · WSFT
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 21.887°N, 159.551°W
- NTSB ID
- 20110216X31253
Official records · WPR11FA138
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 15, 2011, about 1140 Hawaiian standard time, an AirBorne WindSport Edge XT-912-L weight-shift-control (WSC) light sport aircraft N29EP, was substantially damaged when it impacted the water near Hanapepe, Hawaii. The sport pilot instructor and his student sustained fatal injuries. The WSC aircraft sank in about 50 feet of water and was recovered 7 days after the accident. Big Sky Kaua’i was operating the aircraft under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight. The WSC aircraft departed from Port Allen Airport, Hanapepe, Hawaii, about 1045. Moments before the accident, a coffee plantation worker observed the aircraft flying downslope towards the ocean. He said it was about 3 to 4 telephone poles in height above him. The coffee field that the WSC aircraft was flying over sloped from about 200 feet to 100 feet in elevation, at which point it ended at a cliff that dropped straight to the ocean. The worker stated that he lost sight of the aircraft as it dipped below the cliff line flying nearly due south towards the ocean. The witness stated that he had seen the aircraft many times before. He said that the aircraft appeared a little bit lower than during previous flybys, but its engine sounded fine. He never regained sight of the aircraft. A witness on a fishing boat stated that the aircraft leveled off at about 50 feet above the water and turned approximately west towards the Port Allen Airport. Another witness, who was in a kayak on the ocean,
Probable cause
The flight instructor did not maintain aircraft control while maneuvering at low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the inadvertent application of the choke, which resulted in a momentary interruption of engine power.
More accidents in HI
- Beech 65-A90, Jun 22, 2019
- Piper PA-31-350, Sep 26, 1999
- Boeing 747-122, Feb 24, 1989
- Beech E18S, Apr 23, 1992
- Piper PA-31-350, Dec 24, 1987
Browse: Hawaii
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
