What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot stated that while on a solo pleasure flight, and was approx. 8 miles southeast of the molokai airport, he decided to fly up a canyon that's just above the kawela area on the island of molokai, HI. While approaching the ridge he stated that the a/c just started to sink. He added power, but he felt that he could not make it. He impacted near an area of kapulei. He stated that he had encountered strong down drafts. (-19) on November 29, 2000, at 1650 hours hawaiian standard time, a Wsk-pzl warzawa-okecie PZL-104 wilga 80, N112B, impacted terrain in a remote area under unknown circumstances 8 miles southeast of molokai airport, kaunakakai, Hawaii. The airplane was operated by the pilot/owner under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area personal flight that departed the honolulu international airport, honolulu, Hawaii, at 1535. A flight plan was not filed. The pilot notified a family member via cell phone that he had been involved in an airplane accident. The family member then called the local fire dept. That LOC ated the pilot and subsequently transported him to the hospital. (.4) the airplane lost airspeed and altitude while sightseeing in a valley and made an emergency landing on a hillside in mountainous terrain. While looking at the valley below the airplane was caught in a severe downdraft from which the pilot was unable to recover. There were no discrepancies noted with the airframe or power plant by the pilot. He did note that when he added power there was not enough power available to compensate for the downdraft. The pilot stated that his preflight weather briefing indicated clear skies with visual flight rules recommended. He also stated that the airplane was caught in a downdraft on the lee side of mountainous terrain.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE ON A SOLO PLEASURE FLIGHT, AND WAS APPROX. 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE MOLOKAI AIRPORT, HE DECIDED TO FLY UP A CANYON THAT'S JUST ABOVE THE KAWELA AREA ON THE ISLAND OF MOLOKAI, HI. WHILE APPROACHING THE RIDGE HE STATED THAT THE A/C JUST STARTED TO SINK. HE ADDED POWER, BUT HE FELT THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE IT. HE IMPACTED NEAR AN AREA OF KAPULEI. HE STATED THAT HE HAD ENCOUNTERED STRONG DOWN DRAFTS. (-19) ON NOVEMBER 29, 2000, AT 1650 HOURS HAWAIIAN STANDARD TIME, A WSK-PZL WARZAWA-OKECIE PZL-104 WILGA 80, N112B, IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A REMOTE AREA UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MOLOKAI AIRPORT, KAUNAKAKAI, HAWAII. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT/OWNER UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED THE HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, HONOLULU, HAWAII, AT 1535. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE PILOT NOTIFIED A FAMILY MEMBER VIA CELL PHONE THAT HE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN AN AIRPLANE ACCIDENT. THE FAMILY MEMBER THEN CALLED THE LOCAL FIRE DEPT. THAT LOC ATED THE PILOT AND SUBSEQUENTLY TRANSPORTED HIM TO THE HOSPITAL. (.4) THE AIRPLANE LOST AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE WHILE SIGHTSEEING IN A VALLEY AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A HILLSIDE IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. WHILE LOOKING AT THE VALLEY BELOW THE AIRPLANE WAS CAUGHT IN A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT FROM WHICH THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER. THERE WERE NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED WITH THE AIRFRAME OR POWER PLANT BY THE PILOT. HE DID NOTE THAT WHEN HE ADDED POWER THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH POWER AVAILABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE DOWNDRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING INDICATED CLEAR SKIES WITH VISUAL FLIGHT RULES RECOMMENDED. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS CAUGHT IN A DOWNDRAFT ON THE LEE SIDE OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.