What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 26, 2014, about 2130 hawaiian time, a Piper PA-31-350, N483VA, collided with terrain shortly after departure from the Lanai Airport (phny), Lanai City, Hawaii. The certified commercial pilot and two passengers were fatally injured and three other passengers were seriously injured. The airplane was substantially damaged and was partially consumed by a post impact fire. The airplane was registered to maui aircraft leasing, LLC, and operated by maui island air under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 135 as a cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was operated on a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight had a planned destination of kahului airport, kahului, Hawaii.
An initial examination of the accident site by the national transportation safety board, investigator-in-charge, revealed about a 640-foot-long debris field that stretched from the first initial point of contact (fipc) to an engine component near the main wreckage. The fipc was a ground scar that stretched about 160-feet-IN-length and about 1-foot-wide. Charring vegetation was observed about 100 feet down the ground scar from the fipc and fanned out on either side of the debris path for about 260 feet to about 50 feet in width at its furthest. The majority of the wreckage debris was found on the last 2/3 of the debris field. The main wreckage was mostly consumed by a post impact fire.
A review of the recorded data from phny, automated weather observation station revealed at 2056 conditions were wind 050 degrees at 21 knots, with gusts to 25 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 18 degrees celsius, dew point 16 degrees celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.03 inches of mercury.
Examination:
Lycoming and Piper manufacturing investigators examined the engine components; mags, cylinders, spark plugs, checked compression and other evaluations. There were no apparent malfunctions with the engines. Piper manufacturing investigator confirmed all major components, control surfaces, cables and fixtures were confirmed intact. The post impact fire consumed the fuselage and all surfaces.
Findings: the engines and aircraft were found to be airworthy and operating iaw manufacturing specifications.
Determination:
The PIC may have lost awareness and flew the aircraft into the ground when possibily turning to the right as to turn back towards the airport VOR. There was a slight head wind which might have caused him to change the normal takeoff route.
The conditions were IMC and the PIC should have considered an IFR flight. Instead of VFR flight.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 26, 2014, ABOUT 2130 HAWAIIAN TIME, A PIPER PA-31-350, N483VA, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE FROM THE LANAI AIRPORT (PHNY), LANAI CITY, HAWAII. THE CERTIFIED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED AND THREE OTHER PASSENGERS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND WAS PARTIALLY CONSUMED BY A POST IMPACT FIRE. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO MAUI AIRCRAFT LEASING, LLC, AND OPERATED BY MAUI ISLAND AIR UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 135 AS A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE FLIGHT, WHICH WAS OPERATED ON A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES FLIGHT PLAN. THE FLIGHT HAD A PLANNED DESTINATION OF KAHULUI AIRPORT, KAHULUI, HAWAII.
AN INITIAL EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE BY THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, REVEALED ABOUT A 640-FOOT-LONG DEBRIS FIELD THAT STRETCHED FROM THE FIRST INITIAL POINT OF CONTACT (FIPC) TO AN ENGINE COMPONENT NEAR THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE FIPC WAS A GROUND SCAR THAT STRETCHED ABOUT 160-FEET-IN-LENGTH AND ABOUT 1-FOOT-WIDE. CHARRING VEGETATION WAS OBSERVED ABOUT 100 FEET DOWN THE GROUND SCAR FROM THE FIPC AND FANNED OUT ON EITHER SIDE OF THE DEBRIS PATH FOR ABOUT 260 FEET TO ABOUT 50 FEET IN WIDTH AT ITS FURTHEST. THE MAJORITY OF THE WRECKAGE DEBRIS WAS FOUND ON THE LAST 2/3 OF THE DEBRIS FIELD. THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS MOSTLY CONSUMED BY A POST IMPACT FIRE.
A REVIEW OF THE RECORDED DATA FROM PHNY, AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION STATION REVEALED AT 2056 CONDITIONS WERE WIND 050 DEGREES AT 21 KNOTS, WITH GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CLEAR SKY, TEMPERATURE 18 DEGREES CELSIUS, DEW POINT 16 DEGREES CELSIUS, AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.03 INCHES OF MERCURY.
EXAMINATION:
LYCOMING AND PIPER MANUFACTURING INVESTIGATORS EXAMINED THE ENGINE COMPONENTS; MAGS, CYLINDERS, SPARK PLUGS, CHECKED COMPRESSION AND OTHER EVALUATIONS. THERE WERE NO APPARENT MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE ENGINES. PIPER MANUFACTURING INVESTIGATOR CONFIRMED ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS, CONTROL SURFACES, CABLES AND FIXTURES WERE CONFIRMED INTACT. THE POST IMPACT FIRE CONSUMED THE FUSELAGE AND ALL SURFACES.
FINDINGS: THE ENGINES AND AIRCRAFT WERE FOUND TO BE AIRWORTHY AND OPERATING IAW MANUFACTURING SPECIFICATIONS.
DETERMINATION:
THE PIC MAY HAVE LOST AWARENESS AND FLEW THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE GROUND WHEN POSSIBILY TURNING TO THE RIGHT AS TO TURN BACK TOWARDS THE AIRPORT VOR. THERE WAS A SLIGHT HEAD WIND WHICH MIGHT HAVE CAUSED HIM TO CHANGE THE NORMAL TAKEOFF ROUTE.
THE CONDITIONS WERE IMC AND THE PIC SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED AN IFR FLIGHT. INSTEAD OF VFR FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N483VA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.