What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) If the pilot had survived the accident he would have been required to take a 44709 reexamination. (.19) on July 13, 2002, at 1611 hawaiian daylight time, a Cessna 177, N306DJ, collided with the ground under unknown circumstances in a grove of eucalyptus tress in Hana, Hawaii. The airplane, owned and operated by the private pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, sustained substantial damage. The pilot and three passengers received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed the kahului international airport (ogg), maui, Hawaii, about 1400, and was scheduled to terminate at ogg. The flight was a subject of an alert notification (alnot) issued by the federal aviation administration (FAA) at 2100 local time because of a concerned family member. The coast guard initiated a search the following morning. The airplane was located on July 15, about 0750. The accident site was located in the nahiku rain forest area about 3 miles northwest of the Hana airport (hnm), Hana. The airplane wreckage was about 200 yards from the Hana highway on t he mauka (mountain) side of the highway. The airplane came to rest at a 90-degree nose down attitude on the rain forest floor. The elevation was about 800 feet. A large eucalyptus tree was adjacent to the left wing. From the base of the tree to an estimated height of 75 feet, multiple sections of tree bark were missing. The left wing had a semicircular impact mark about midspan that matched the diameter of the eucalyptus tree. The left wing also had color transfer similar to the tree, as well as a small tree limb embedded in the leading edge of the wing. Flight control continuity was established on scene. Pacific helicopter's of maui retrieved the airplane, on July 18, 2002. The airframe and power plant inspections were conducted at a hangar in kahului on July 19, 2002. External examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft flange was displaced about 5 degrees. The top spark plugs were removed. According to the champion aviation check-a-plug chart AV-27, the spark plugs displayed coloration consistent with normal operation. The cylinder combustion chambers were inspected utilizing a lighted boroscope with no discrepancies found. Mechanical continuity was established throughout the engine via manual rotation through the accessory section. Rotation produced thumb compression in each cylinder in proper firing order, with valve train continuity established. Both propeller blades exhibited s-bending, leading edge gouging, and chordwise scratching. One of the propeller blade tips separated from the propeller blade.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) IF THE PILOT HAD SURVIVED THE ACCIDENT HE WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO TAKE A 44709 REEXAMINATION. (.19) ON JULY 13, 2002, AT 1611 HAWAIIAN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 177, N306DJ, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES IN A GROVE OF EUCALYPTUS TRESS IN HANA, HAWAII. THE AIRPLANE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PRIVATE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA FLIGHT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE KAHULUI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (OGG), MAUI, HAWAII, ABOUT 1400, AND WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE AT OGG. THE FLIGHT WAS A SUBJECT OF AN ALERT NOTIFICATION (ALNOT) ISSUED BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) AT 2100 LOCAL TIME BECAUSE OF A CONCERNED FAMILY MEMBER. THE COAST GUARD INITIATED A SEARCH THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED ON JULY 15, ABOUT 0750. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED IN THE NAHIKU RAIN FOREST AREA ABOUT 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE HANA AIRPORT (HNM), HANA. THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS ABOUT 200 YARDS FROM THE HANA HIGHWAY ON T HE MAUKA (MOUNTAIN) SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST AT A 90-DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE ON THE RAIN FOREST FLOOR. THE ELEVATION WAS ABOUT 800 FEET. A LARGE EUCALYPTUS TREE WAS ADJACENT TO THE LEFT WING. FROM THE BASE OF THE TREE TO AN ESTIMATED HEIGHT OF 75 FEET, MULTIPLE SECTIONS OF TREE BARK WERE MISSING. THE LEFT WING HAD A SEMICIRCULAR IMPACT MARK ABOUT MIDSPAN THAT MATCHED THE DIAMETER OF THE EUCALYPTUS TREE. THE LEFT WING ALSO HAD COLOR TRANSFER SIMILAR TO THE TREE, AS WELL AS A SMALL TREE LIMB EMBEDDED IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED ON SCENE. PACIFIC HELICOPTER'S OF MAUI RETRIEVED THE AIRPLANE, ON JULY 18, 2002. THE AIRFRAME AND POWER PLANT INSPECTIONS WERE CONDUCTED AT A HANGAR IN KAHULUI ON JULY 19, 2002. EXTERNAL EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT FLANGE WAS DISPLACED ABOUT 5 DEGREES. THE TOP SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED. ACCORDING TO THE CHAMPION AVIATION CHECK-A-PLUG CHART AV-27, THE SPARK PLUGS DISPLAYED COLORATION CONSISTENT WITH NORMAL OPERATION. THE CYLINDER COMBUSTION CHAMBERS WERE INSPECTED UTILIZING A LIGHTED BOROSCOPE WITH NO DISCREPANCIES FOUND. MECHANICAL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE VIA MANUAL ROTATION THROUGH THE ACCESSORY SECTION. ROTATION PRODUCED THUMB COMPRESSION IN EACH CYLINDER IN PROPER FIRING ORDER, WITH VALVE TRAIN CONTINUITY ESTABLISHED. BOTH PROPELLER BLADES EXHIBITED S-BENDING, LEADING EDGE GOUGING, AND CHORDWISE SCRATCHING. ONE OF THE PROPELLER BLADE TIPS SEPARATED FROM THE PROPELLER BLADE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.