# Accident 19960708016112A: Mooney M20J, Honolulu, HI, July 8, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 8, 1996, 16:04 local time
- Place: Honolulu, HI
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Collision: Midair collision, second aircraft
- Phase of flight: Formation Flying
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 21.2996° N, 157.8604° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=21.2996&lon=-157.8604&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5801N, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5801N) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20J (registry code 5870219, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20j) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20J
- Reported engine: LYC IO360A3B6
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,000 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX96LA267](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX96LA267) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960708016112A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4)THE HUGHES HELICOPTER, N64MK, AND THE MOONEY AIRPLANE, N5801N, HAD DEPARTED ON A FORMATION FLIGHT TO FILM A MOVIE. CAMERAMEN WERE IN BOTH AIRCRAFT, AND AN ACTRESS WAS IN THE MOONEY'S RIGHT FRONT SEAT. BY PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS, THE MOONEY WAS THE LEAD AIRCRAFT AND WAS FLOWN BY ITS LEFT SEATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT.  A COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS FLYING THE HUGHES, ALSO FROM THE LEFT SEAT.  THE PILOTS WERE IN RADIO CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER.  VIDEOTAPE TAKEN FROM BOTH AIRCRAFT WAS REVIEWED.  WHILE CRUISING PAST DIAMOND HEAD AT 100 KNOTS AND 1,000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL, THE HUGHES DECREASED ITS DISTANCE FROM THE MOONEY'S RIGHT WING, JOINED UP IN A TIGHT SIDE-BY-SIDE FORMATION, AND AT TIMES WAS SEVERAL FEET HIGHER, LOWER, IN FRONT OF, AND BEHIND THE MOONEY.  THE MOONEY PILOT REPORTED THAT SHE OBSERVED THE HUGHES.  SECONDS PRIOR TO THE HUGHES' MAIN ROTOR BLADES IMPACTING AND SEVERING THE OUTER 3 FEET OF THE MOONEY'S RIGHT WING, THE MOONEY PILOT DIVERTED HER ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE HUGHES.  THE MOONEY PILOT LOOKED OUTSIDE HER LEFT WINDSHIELD AND POINTED OUT TO THE ACTRESS THE PRESENCE OF A SHORELINE HOTEL.  AFTER THE COLLISION, THE MOONEY LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER MISHAP.  THE HUGHES  AUTOROTATED INTO THE OCEAN AND SANK.

## Other aircraft in the event

- N64MK, Hughes 369D: [Accident 19960708016111A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960708016111A)

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX96LA267](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX96LA267), Jul 9, 1996: Mooney M20J (N5801N), Honolulu, HI, substantial damage. Probable cause: the failure of both pilots to maintain an adequate clearance from each other while in formation flight.

## Other reports on N5801N (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19940306009719I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940306009719I), Mar 6, 1994: Mooney M20J (N5801N), Hawi, HI, Minor damage. Pilot made a hard landing while practicing touch and go landings.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.