20221215022449A

A Raytheon Aircraft Company (formerly Beech) C90A airplane sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Kaupo, Hawaii. The airline transport pilot, flight paramedic, and flight nurse were fatally injured. The airplane was repositioning for a 14 CFR part 135 air ambulance flight.

The flight departed the kahulia airport (ogg) on the island of maui, Hawaii at 2053 local, on an IFR flight plan to the waimea-kohala airport (mue) on the island of Hawaii to pick up a patient that was to be transported to honolulu. Dark night conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. Recovered video from the image recorder that was installed in the flight deck revealed that the pilot side attitude indicator failed around the time the airplane turned south and flew along the east coast of maui near hana. There is no evidence that the pilot reported the failure to the ARTCC specialist or altered plans due to the failure. At 2108 local, as the flight continued on a southeasterly heading, the ARTCC specialist initially instructed the pilot to turn right to a heading of 180°, then to an amended heading of 200°, and the pilot acknowledge the 200° heading.

At 2109, as the flight continued on a 200° heading at 13,000 ft., the ARTCC specialist instructed the pilot to descend to 12,000 ft., and the pilot accepted.

At 2110, the ARTCC specialist instructed the pilot to descend to 8,000 ft, and the pilot is heard acknowledging those instructions as well.

At 2112, the ARTCC specialist instructed the pilot to fly a heading of 180°, and he cleared the flight to fly direct to the tammi waypoint, the initial approach fix for the RNAV (GPS) 4 approach to mue, and the pilot acknowledged the instructions.

At 2113:22, the ARTCC specialist contacted the pilot asking him to verify that he was flying “direct to tammi” as previously instructed.

At 2113:25, the pilot states, in part: "center 13GZ is… uh… off navigation here. We’re gonna…" "we’re gonna give it a try.”

At 2113:32, the ARTCC specialist acknowledges the pilot’s last statement, and instructs him to turn right to a 170-degree heading and to maintain 8,000 ft.

At 2113:43, a final radio transmission, believed to be from the accident pilot, is heard saying “hang on.”

There were no further communications with the accident flight.

A witness that was flying a low-wing Piper PA-44 airplane from hilo, Hawaii to honolulu, Hawaii reported seeing the accident airplane well above and to the north of his northwesterly flight path. He added that after the ARTCC specialist reported the airplane to his 3 o’clock position at 12,000 ft, descending to 8,000 ft., he continued watching the lights of the airplane. He said that as the airplane continued southbound, it began a right turn, then it entered a spiraling right descending turn, which steepened as the descent increased. The witness said that he watched the airplane continue to descend until it impacted the surface of the water. He added that shortly after the airplane impacted the water, he lost sight of the airplane’s lights.

ARTCC reported the loss of contact with the aircraft and search and rescue efforts were initiated.