What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Saberliner on night approach into the Molokai Airport. IFR departure from kahului, maui. Pilots were behind airplane and required ATC vectors to turn at blush intersection. Lack of crew coordination apparent from CVR. Little use of checklist. No challenge and response. Cpt appeared to not have an approachplate in front of him. No approach brief, co-pilot selected wrond frequency for airport lighting. Crew apparently believed clouds abscured the filed in spite of 10 miles/clear vis. Report. Cpt suggested checking frequency and airfield lights were turned on. Crew began to execute VOR a approach. On inbound leg aircraft descended below minimum altitude of 2200 ft. prior to the VOR. Aircraft descended to 1800 ft. aircraft was south of approach course by approximately 3/4 of a mile. The crew lost sight of the field again and appeared to want to descend the field. Aircraft began a quick descent, continuing though 1400 ft., well below the minimum safe altitude of 2,500 ft., and impacted the mountainous terrain at 1230 ft. indicated on the altimeter. Airspeed indicated 110 knots and attitude was level with four degrees pitch up. Flaps were down and gear was down. Normal engine operation was heard on CVR. All other instrumentation destroyed. (.4) on may 10, 2000, at 2031 hawaiian standard time (HST), a rockwell na 265-65 sabreliner corporate jet, N241H, collided with mountainous terrain 3.3 nautical miles (NM) southwest of the Kaunakakai airport (phmk), on the island of Molokai, Hawaii. The airplane was on a night visual approach for landing; it was destroyed in the collision sequence and post crash fire. Price aircraft company, LLC, of broomfield, Colorado, owned the airplane, and they were operating it as a personal transportation flight under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The airline transport pilot captain, commercial copilot, and four passengers sustained fatal injuries. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from tahiti (ntaa) in the mid pacific ocean at an estimated departure time of 1300 HST and made an en route refueling stop at christmas island (plch). It departed christmas island about 1600 HST for maui (phog), Hawaii. It cleared customs in maui about 1930 and departed for Molokai at 2008 HST. The accident site location was 21 degrees 07.634 minutes north latitude and 157 degrees 08.994 minutes west longitude.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) SABERLINER ON NIGHT APPROACH INTO THE MOLOKAI AIRPORT. IFR DEPARTURE FROM KAHULUI, MAUI. PILOTS WERE BEHIND AIRPLANE AND REQUIRED ATC VECTORS TO TURN AT BLUSH INTERSECTION. LACK OF CREW COORDINATION APPARENT FROM CVR. LITTLE USE OF CHECKLIST. NO CHALLENGE AND RESPONSE. CPT APPEARED TO NOT HAVE AN APPROACHPLATE IN FRONT OF HIM. NO APPROACH BRIEF, CO-PILOT SELECTED WROND FREQUENCY FOR AIRPORT LIGHTING. CREW APPARENTLY BELIEVED CLOUDS ABSCURED THE FILED IN SPITE OF 10 MILES/CLEAR VIS. REPORT. CPT SUGGESTED CHECKING FREQUENCY AND AIRFIELD LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON. CREW BEGAN TO EXECUTE VOR A APPROACH. ON INBOUND LEG AIRCRAFT DESCENDED BELOW MINIMUM ALTITUDE OF 2200 FT. PRIOR TO THE VOR. AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO 1800 FT. AIRCRAFT WAS SOUTH OF APPROACH COURSE BY APPROXIMATELY 3/4 OF A MILE. THE CREW LOST SIGHT OF THE FIELD AGAIN AND APPEARED TO WANT TO DESCEND THE FIELD. AIRCRAFT BEGAN A QUICK DESCENT, CONTINUING THOUGH 1400 FT., WELL BELOW THE MINIMUM SAFE ALTITUDE OF 2,500 FT., AND IMPACTED THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT 1230 FT. INDICATED ON THE ALTIMETER. AIRSPEED INDICATED 110 KNOTS AND ATTITUDE WAS LEVEL WITH FOUR DEGREES PITCH UP. FLAPS WERE DOWN AND GEAR WAS DOWN. NORMAL ENGINE OPERATION WAS HEARD ON CVR. ALL OTHER INSTRUMENTATION DESTROYED. (.4) ON MAY 10, 2000, AT 2031 HAWAIIAN STANDARD TIME (HST), A ROCKWELL NA 265-65 SABRELINER CORPORATE JET, N241H, COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN 3.3 NAUTICAL MILES (NM) SOUTHWEST OF THE KAUNAKAKAI AIRPORT (PHMK), ON THE ISLAND OF MOLOKAI, HAWAII. THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A NIGHT VISUAL APPROACH FOR LANDING; IT WAS DESTROYED IN THE COLLISION SEQUENCE AND POST CRASH FIRE. PRICE AIRCRAFT COMPANY, LLC, OF BROOMFIELD, COLORADO, OWNED THE AIRPLANE, AND THEY WERE OPERATING IT AS A PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT CAPTAIN, COMMERCIAL COPILOT, AND FOUR PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM TAHITI (NTAA) IN THE MID PACIFIC OCEAN AT AN ESTIMATED DEPARTURE TIME OF 1300 HST AND MADE AN EN ROUTE REFUELING STOP AT CHRISTMAS ISLAND (PLCH). IT DEPARTED CHRISTMAS ISLAND ABOUT 1600 HST FOR MAUI (PHOG), HAWAII. IT CLEARED CUSTOMS IN MAUI ABOUT 1930 AND DEPARTED FOR MOLOKAI AT 2008 HST. THE ACCIDENT SITE LOCATION WAS 21 DEGREES 07.634 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE AND 157 DEGREES 08.994 MINUTES WEST LONGITUDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.