- Date
- August 8, 1992, 02:12 local (12:12 UTC)
- Place
- Honolulu, HI
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N26070Cessna 310M
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920808029729A
- Case key
- 27720
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Loss of aircraft control for an undetermined reason after the pilot took off at night and flew the aircraft into the area of a thunderstorm and lightning.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The flt departed Honolulu for a local VFR flt & was receiving radar advisories. The flt climbed to 1,500 feet MSL. Radar data showed that after takeoff, the acft flew in a southeasterly direction along the coast & turned east when it was abeam diamond head. Upon approaching koko head, the acft entered a 450 degree turn to a southerly heading. While in the turn the acft began a descent, then disappeared from the radar scope at about 700 ft MSL. The acft had been flying for 12 min. Ground witnesses reported hearing the acft fly over their homes before it crashed off-shore in ocean waters. Thunderstorms with lightning was reported near the acdnt area. Several acft flightcrews confirmed the thunderstorms & lightning. U.S. Navy radar display video photocopies showed the presence of thunderstorms in the acdnt area. No record was found of the pilot receiving a wx briefing before departing on the acdnt flt. Search & rescue personnel recovered only 2 acft seats.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N26070
- Reported as
- Cessna 310M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310M0025
- Airframe hours
- 7,047
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-D, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Davidson, Steven T.
- Registered owner
- Richard Fast & Carol Read
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 10, 1992 · 118 hours before
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,414 total · 144 in this make and model · 1,358 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 41 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.