What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot operated the aircraft as an introductory flight for a person. The aircraft is privately owned and flown by agreeent with offshore flight school, a part 61 flight school and part 91 loa air tour operator.
Due to weather on the island of oahu the flight instructor pilot there was a election agreement that the flight would take off from honolulu, Hawaii and proceed to Molokai, Hawaii. Weather conditions were better for the flight and allowed for sight seeing by passengers which were related to person receiving the introduction flight.
Aircraft departed and upon flight on the north side of Molokai, Hawaii the flight turned into a flight tour.
Pilot statement reflects he took over control and proceeded to maneuver to sight see waterfals that were abeam Molokai. Climbing through and circling the mountain terrain. He climbed on a heading 209 degrees towards kalaupapa at an altitude of 3000 ft MSL.
Airplane performance as he noted was not producing full power with full throttle. He assumed carburetor icing a factor and applied carburetor heat. An apparent loss of 200 RPM less than normal.
He remained in mountainous terrain and did not attempt to recover by turning 180 degrees from where he had entered the terrain.
When he did attempt to fly out of this terrain he noticed his continueous climb vy to 4,500 MSL was not attainable. His decent rate was 400-500 feet per minute at full power. Upon attemting to turn around he was at less than 500 ft from terrain. Attempted to zigzagged to climb but the airplane would not climb. He closed the carburetor heat and added power and attempted a chandelle turn but the valley was too narrow.
He was nearing the trees and no way to climb out. He crashed into some trees and evacuated all persons. Three persons with minor injuries and one severe injury with a broken hip.
Airplane remains at the crash site. The owner does not have insurance to recover the airplane.
Operations and airworthiness inspectors are not able to climb to crash site due to the airplane about 3000 ft elevation and there is not manner to walk or drive to site.
Lycoming engine investigator has request engine log book information.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT OPERATED THE AIRCRAFT AS AN INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT FOR A PERSON. THE AIRCRAFT IS PRIVATELY OWNED AND FLOWN BY AGREEENT WITH OFFSHORE FLIGHT SCHOOL, A PART 61 FLIGHT SCHOOL AND PART 91 LOA AIR TOUR OPERATOR.
DUE TO WEATHER ON THE ISLAND OF OAHU THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR PILOT THERE WAS A ELECTION AGREEMENT THAT THE FLIGHT WOULD TAKE OFF FROM HONOLULU, HAWAII AND PROCEED TO MOLOKAI, HAWAII. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE BETTER FOR THE FLIGHT AND ALLOWED FOR SIGHT SEEING BY PASSENGERS WHICH WERE RELATED TO PERSON RECEIVING THE INTRODUCTION FLIGHT.
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AND UPON FLIGHT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF MOLOKAI, HAWAII THE FLIGHT TURNED INTO A FLIGHT TOUR.
PILOT STATEMENT REFLECTS HE TOOK OVER CONTROL AND PROCEEDED TO MANEUVER TO SIGHT SEE WATERFALS THAT WERE ABEAM MOLOKAI. CLIMBING THROUGH AND CIRCLING THE MOUNTAIN TERRAIN. HE CLIMBED ON A HEADING 209 DEGREES TOWARDS KALAUPAPA AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3000 FT MSL.
AIRPLANE PERFORMANCE AS HE NOTED WAS NOT PRODUCING FULL POWER WITH FULL THROTTLE. HE ASSUMED CARBURETOR ICING A FACTOR AND APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT. AN APPARENT LOSS OF 200 RPM LESS THAN NORMAL.
HE REMAINED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND DID NOT ATTEMPT TO RECOVER BY TURNING 180 DEGREES FROM WHERE HE HAD ENTERED THE TERRAIN.
WHEN HE DID ATTEMPT TO FLY OUT OF THIS TERRAIN HE NOTICED HIS CONTINUEOUS CLIMB VY TO 4,500 MSL WAS NOT ATTAINABLE. HIS DECENT RATE WAS 400-500 FEET PER MINUTE AT FULL POWER. UPON ATTEMTING TO TURN AROUND HE WAS AT LESS THAN 500 FT FROM TERRAIN. ATTEMPTED TO ZIGZAGGED TO CLIMB BUT THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB. HE CLOSED THE CARBURETOR HEAT AND ADDED POWER AND ATTEMPTED A CHANDELLE TURN BUT THE VALLEY WAS TOO NARROW.
HE WAS NEARING THE TREES AND NO WAY TO CLIMB OUT. HE CRASHED INTO SOME TREES AND EVACUATED ALL PERSONS. THREE PERSONS WITH MINOR INJURIES AND ONE SEVERE INJURY WITH A BROKEN HIP.
AIRPLANE REMAINS AT THE CRASH SITE. THE OWNER DOES NOT HAVE INSURANCE TO RECOVER THE AIRPLANE.
OPERATIONS AND AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS ARE NOT ABLE TO CLIMB TO CRASH SITE DUE TO THE AIRPLANE ABOUT 3000 FT ELEVATION AND THERE IS NOT MANNER TO WALK OR DRIVE TO SITE.
LYCOMING ENGINE INVESTIGATOR HAS REQUEST ENGINE LOG BOOK INFORMATION.
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 N5660E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.