# NTSB LAX01LA047: Wsk Pzl Warzawa-Okecie PZL-104 Wilga 80, N112B, Kaunakakai, HI, November 30, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: November 29, 2000, 16:30 local (Nov 30, 2000, 02:30 UTC) - Place: Kaunakakai, HI - Coordinates: 21.079252, -157.009735 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=21.0793&lon=-157.0097&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report November 6, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 50710 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX01LA047 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/50710/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA047 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper assessment of in-flight weather conditions, his inadequate compensation for winds, and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude and clearance on the lee side of mountainous terrain. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, cruise - weather condition - downdraft (contributing factor) - weather evaluation - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - compensation for wind conditions - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, cruise - normal - terrain condition - mountainous/hilly - altitude/clearance - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The airplane lost airspeed and altitude while sightseeing in a valley and made an emergency landing on a hillside in mountainous terrain. While looking at the valley below the airplane was caught in a severe downdraft from which the pilot was unable to recover. There were no discrepancies noted with the airframe or power plant by the pilot. He did note that when he added power there was not enough power available to compensate for the downdraft. The pilot stated that his preflight weather briefing indicated clear skies with visual flight rules recommended. He also stated that the airplane was caught in a downdraft on the lee side of mountainous terrain. ## Factual narrative On November 29, 2000, at 1630 hours Hawaiian standard time, a Wsk-Pzl Warzawa-Okecie PZL-104 WILGA 80, N112B, impacted mountainous terrain in a remote area after experiencing a downdraft 8 miles southeast of Molokai airport, Kaunakakai, Hawaii. The airplane was operated by the pilot/owner under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, and was substantially damaged. The certified flight instructor (CFI) received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area personal flight that departed the Honolulu International Airport, Honolulu, Hawaii, at 1535. A flight plan had not been filed. The flight was scheduled to terminate at the Honolulu airport. The aviation surface weather report for the Molokai airport, located 8 miles southeast of the accident site, reported the weather at 1519 to be 10 miles visibility; winds from 040 degrees at 5 knots, with scattered cloud layers at 2,700 feet and 3,900 feet; temperature 75 degrees Fahrenheit; dew point 64 degrees Fahrenheit; and altimeter setting 30.00 inHg. Weather reported at 1554 was 10 miles visibility; winds from 020 degrees at 9 knots; temperature 75 degrees Fahrenheit; dew point 66 degrees Fahrenheit, with a scattered cloud layer at 3,900 feet; and altimeter setting 30.01 inHg. The pilot notified family members and personnel from the Maui County fire department via cell phone that he had been involved in an airplane accident, and advised them of his location. In the pilot's written statement to the Safety Board he indicated that after transitioning through Kaneohe Class D airspace he flew towards Molokai via Ilio point climbing to 3,000 feet. He requested clearance to pass over Molokai from west to east towards the south shore near Kamalo Valley. He flew towards the valley in a northerly direction. The pilot stated that he did a "few turns . . ." looking at the valley and then experienced a severe downdraft, from which he was unable to recover. He stated that it was if the airplane was a rock falling out of the sky. He made a turn towards the north; what he thought was the direction from which the downdraft was coming. He added full power and a notch of flaps to get more lift, but that was not enough to get him out of the valley. The pilot stated that he looked for a spot to land and made a forced landing on a hillside. The pilot noted no discrepancies with the engine. The pilot reported that a turn in the opposite direction would have given him more airspeed, but would have resulted in a further loss of altitude. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reviewed the airframe and engine logbooks with no discrepancies noted. The FAA inspector noted the accident site location was at 3,600 feet above ground level. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N112B](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N112B-2001-05-24), registration cancelled 2001-05-24, S/N CF 20890881 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Wsk Pzl Warzawa-Okecie PZL-104 WILGA 80 (PZL-104 WI) - Registry model: [Wsk-Pzl Warzawa-Okecie PZL-104 WILGA 80](https://openairdocs.org/model/wsk-pzl-warzawa-okecie-pzl-104-wilga-80) (registry code 9810280) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: CF-20890881 - Airframe hours: 260 - Engines: PZL-Kalisz AI-14RA 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: George Brown IV - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, March 7, 2000, 65 hours before - Departed: HNL, HONOLULU, HI - Destination: OGG, KAHULUI, HI ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 30; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 1,631 total, 79 in this make and model, 1,503 as pilot in command, 107 in the last 90 days, 28 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 40° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 167 °F, dew point 147 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: MKK, 8 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20001129026879A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001129026879A), Nov 29, 2000: Wsk PZL104, Kaunakaki, HI, Substantial damage. (-23) The pilot stated that while on a solo pleasure flight, and was approx. 8 miles southeast of the molokai airport, he decided to fly up a canyon that's… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.