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20200222002349A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna Ector 305A · Mokuleia, HI · February 22, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 22, 2020 · 09:30 local
Place
Mokuleia, HI
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N65070
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC20FA024
Reported as
Cessna Ector 305A
Reported engine
Continental O-470 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
N65070Registered now · Cessna Ector 305AS/N 2035 · Built 1979Airframe modelCessna Ector 305AEngine modelContinental O-470 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The PIC (rear seat) was providing tow plane flight instruction to pilot flying(front seat). According to witnesses, the aircraft made one approach to landing, then departed. Approximately 1500 feet down runway 8, the aircraft turned/yawed rapidly to the right and climbed over trees. The witnesses said they heard the engine decrease in noise followed by crushing impact sound of metal.

A us coast guard H65 aircraft was transitioning the hdh airport area and stopped to provide first aid.

The front pilot, was pinned in wreckage and found unresponsive without pulse.

PIC in back seat was severely injured but breathing. PIC in back seat was provided with first aid and put on ambulance with broken legs and facial injuries. Back seat PIC died enroute to the hospital.

FAA inspector in charge arrived on scene at 1230PM. Once front seat pilot was extricated from wreckage, FAA inspectors commenced investigation.

Aircraft appears to have contacted ground in near vertical left hand turning decent. Left wing tip took initial hit. The propeller was found 3.5 feet infront of main wreckage buried approximately 6 inches in the ground, intact with the sheared engine shaft in hub. The fixed two blade propeller has little damage to only one side and the other side is undamaged. Appears that little to no rotation occurred at impact.

Front seat pilot, deceased, was observed pinned in forward seat under dash and required hfd extrication by cutting left wing debris to free him. Rear seated PIC was gone prior to FAA arrival. Minor bio (blood) observed on ground and in forward compartment where front seated pilot was removed.

Acft appears to have impacted the ground heading approximately 075 degrees.

Cockpit was exposed upon FAA arrival. Rear seat was severely depressed/crushed from vertical impact. Seat belts were all intact.

Flight control surfaces moved freely.

Left rudder had less tension than right rudder.

FAA iic found left rudder cable sheared and covered with working grease.

Sheared cable appears pre-accident and was severely frayed. Multiple photos taken of sheared cable. Inspection panels in floor above left side rudder cable pulley removed by inspector. Cable pulley appears to have wire debris in spool and on floor. Wire strand debris found in grease near pulley area. Fight rudder cable found to be frayed as well in tail boom area. Elevator control cables show excessive wear as well.

Maintenance records signed by mechanic indicate that 100 hour inspection was completed on September 16, 2019 and control cables were inspected.

As the FAA filed it

THE PIC (REAR SEAT) WAS PROVIDING TOW PLANE FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO PILOT FLYING(FRONT SEAT). ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRCRAFT MADE ONE APPROACH TO LANDING, THEN DEPARTED. APPROXIMATELY 1500 FEET DOWN RUNWAY 8, THE AIRCRAFT TURNED/YAWED RAPIDLY TO THE RIGHT AND CLIMBED OVER TREES. THE WITNESSES SAID THEY HEARD THE ENGINE DECREASE IN NOISE FOLLOWED BY CRUSHING IMPACT SOUND OF METAL.

A US COAST GUARD H65 AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSITIONING THE HDH AIRPORT AREA AND STOPPED TO PROVIDE FIRST AID.

THE FRONT PILOT, WAS PINNED IN WRECKAGE AND FOUND UNRESPONSIVE WITHOUT PULSE.

PIC IN BACK SEAT WAS SEVERELY INJURED BUT BREATHING. PIC IN BACK SEAT WAS PROVIDED WITH FIRST AID AND PUT ON AMBULANCE WITH BROKEN LEGS AND FACIAL INJURIES. BACK SEAT PIC DIED ENROUTE TO THE HOSPITAL.

FAA INSPECTOR IN CHARGE ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 1230PM. ONCE FRONT SEAT PILOT WAS EXTRICATED FROM WRECKAGE, FAA INSPECTORS COMMENCED INVESTIGATION.

AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE CONTACTED GROUND IN NEAR VERTICAL LEFT HAND TURNING DECENT. LEFT WING TIP TOOK INITIAL HIT. THE PROPELLER WAS FOUND 3.5 FEET INFRONT OF MAIN WRECKAGE BURIED APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES IN THE GROUND, INTACT WITH THE SHEARED ENGINE SHAFT IN HUB. THE FIXED TWO BLADE PROPELLER HAS LITTLE DAMAGE TO ONLY ONE SIDE AND THE OTHER SIDE IS UNDAMAGED. APPEARS THAT LITTLE TO NO ROTATION OCCURRED AT IMPACT.

FRONT SEAT PILOT, DECEASED, WAS OBSERVED PINNED IN FORWARD SEAT UNDER DASH AND REQUIRED HFD EXTRICATION BY CUTTING LEFT WING DEBRIS TO FREE HIM. REAR SEATED PIC WAS GONE PRIOR TO FAA ARRIVAL. MINOR BIO (BLOOD) OBSERVED ON GROUND AND IN FORWARD COMPARTMENT WHERE FRONT SEATED PILOT WAS REMOVED.

ACFT APPEARS TO HAVE IMPACTED THE GROUND HEADING APPROXIMATELY 075 DEGREES.

COCKPIT WAS EXPOSED UPON FAA ARRIVAL. REAR SEAT WAS SEVERELY DEPRESSED/CRUSHED FROM VERTICAL IMPACT. SEAT BELTS WERE ALL INTACT.

FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES MOVED FREELY.

LEFT RUDDER HAD LESS TENSION THAN RIGHT RUDDER.

FAA IIC FOUND LEFT RUDDER CABLE SHEARED AND COVERED WITH WORKING GREASE.

SHEARED CABLE APPEARS PRE-ACCIDENT AND WAS SEVERELY FRAYED. MULTIPLE PHOTOS TAKEN OF SHEARED CABLE. INSPECTION PANELS IN FLOOR ABOVE LEFT SIDE RUDDER CABLE PULLEY REMOVED BY INSPECTOR. CABLE PULLEY APPEARS TO HAVE WIRE DEBRIS IN SPOOL AND ON FLOOR. WIRE STRAND DEBRIS FOUND IN GREASE NEAR PULLEY AREA. FIGHT RUDDER CABLE FOUND TO BE FRAYED AS WELL IN TAIL BOOM AREA. ELEVATOR CONTROL CABLES SHOW EXCESSIVE WEAR AS WELL.

MAINTENANCE RECORDS SIGNED BY MECHANIC INDICATE THAT 100 HOUR INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2019 AND CONTROL CABLES WERE INSPECTED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC20FA024Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportMokuleia, HIA separation of the left rudder cable due to inadequate maintenance, which resulted in an in-flight loss of control and impact with terrain.Feb 22, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N65070 · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20131107022709ALanding: Touchdown · Waialua, HIPilot was conducting glider tow operations at hdh. While touching down for the 12 time that day, the aircrft flipped forward and came to rest inverted on runway 08.Nov 7, 2013 · Substantial damageIncident 19900513023629IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Mokuleia, HIUsed too much brakes on landing rollout. Aircraft nosed up allowing propelled to strike runway.May 13, 1990 · Minor damage