WPR10LA022

The director of operations reported that after the passengers were boarded, the flight crew noted a discrepancy in the load manifest and the pilot-in-command (PIC) exited the airplane. The PIC reported that the ramp agent was instructed to put the tail stand in place; however, the agent ignored the instructions and entered the airplane via the aft door with the passengers still on board. The airplane subsequently tilted downward and sustained a tail strike, which resulted in structural damage to a fuselage bulkhead.

On October 15, 2009, at 0745 Hawaiian standard time, a Cessna 208B airplane, N861MA, sustained substantial damage when the airplane's tail impacted the ground during the passenger boarding process at the Molokai Airport, Kaunakakai, Hawaii. Mokulele Airlines operated the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135, when the accident occurred. The captain, first officer and five passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. In a written report submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the director of operations reported that after the passengers were boarded, the second-in-command (SIC) pilot noted a discrepancy in the load manifest. The SIC communicated the error to the ramp agent who then opened the aft door and boarded the airplane with the passengers still on board. The airplane subsequently "tilted downward" and the tail struck the tarmac. In a written statement the pilot-in-command (PIC) reported that after discovering the error in the load manifest, the SIC instructed the ramp agent to put the tail stand in place. He reported that the ramp agent "ignored" the instructions and boarded the airplane through the aft door. The PIC reported that this occurred after he exited the airplane. Review of postaccident photos of the airplane revealed structural damage to an aft bulkhead (FS 427.88) and the tail tie down assembly. On October 21, 2009, a Major Repair and Alteration Form 337 was submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration detailing the repairs to the airplane.