Cessna 172S accident near Kahului, HI

On December 2, 2012, a Cessna 172S (airplane) was involved in an accident near Kahului, HI. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

December 2, 2012

Place

Kahului, HI

Aircraft

Cessna 172S · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

21.026°N, 156.454°W

NTSB ID

20121203X92118

Official records · WPR13LA062

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• FAA ATC Package Excerpt: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
• FAA Controller Statements: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 1, 2012, at 1900 Hawaiian standard time, a Cessna 172S, N3554Y, impacted the Pacific Ocean about 5 miles from Kahului Airport (OGG), Kahului, Maui, Hawaii. The owner/pilot operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The pilot, the sole occupant, is presumed to have received fatal injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight from OGG to Molokai Airport (MKK), Kaunakakai, Molokai, Hawaii. No flight plan had been filed. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight departed about 6 minutes prior to the accident. Shortly before the accident occurred, an Air Traffic Control (ATC) specialist noted an erratic flight pattern and contacted the pilot. The pilot declined assistance and informed ATC that he planned to make a right 360-degree turn and track inbound to the MKK VOR. The ATC specialist reported that instead of a right 360-degree turn, the airplane's radar track showed a left descending turn and was then lost from radar. The FAA reported that the airplane's last known altitude was 700 feet. The Coast Guard responded to the last known position and commenced search and rescue (SAR) efforts. The Coast Guard recovered a portion of one of the landing gear, along with some interior airplane pieces; however, the main wreckage was not located. SAR efforts were suspended on December 3, 2012. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 51, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine l

Probable cause

The noninstrument-rated pilot’s spatial disorientation and subsequent failure to maintain airplane control while operating over water in dark night conditions with reduced visibility due to rain in the area.

More accidents in HI

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Browse: Hawaii · Cessna aircraft

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.