Flight Details
A commercial pilot was conducting a scheduled commuter flight between the Hawaiian Islands of Maui and Oahu with four passengers. The flight route followed the northern shores of the mountainous island of Molokai. The pilot initially climbed the airplane to 2,500 feet mean sea level for the transit between the two island communities.
Turbulence Encounter
Once the flight was within gliding distance of the northern shore of Molokai, the pilot descended to 1,000 feet msl to allow passengers a view of the coastline on the left side of the airplane. The coastline along the northern shore of Molokai features a 3,000-foot high cliff. As the flight progressed westward along the coastline, the airplane encountered turbulence and dropped abruptly.
Passenger Injury and Aftermath
During the turbulence, a passenger seated in the rear-most row of seats on the right side of the airplane struck his head on an air vent located just above his seat, sustaining a scalp laceration. Immediately after the turbulence encounter, the pilot climbed the airplane and proceeded directly to the destination airport in Honolulu, landing without further incident. Upon arrival, the passenger was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.
Reclassification
On February 7, 2006, this occurrence was reclassified from an accident to an incident.