History of Flight
On June 17, 2008, at approximately 1205 Hawaiian standard time, a Cessna 172M, registration N13713, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Pahala, Hawaii. The commercial pilot and two passengers were killed. The operator, Above It All, Inc., doing business as Island Hoppers, was conducting the flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the departure from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, at approximately 1020. A visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed and opened for an island circumnavigation air tour.
The airplane departed on a nonscheduled sightseeing flight counterclockwise around the island of Hawaii. The pilot opened his flight plan with Air Traffic Control at 1020. The flight plan indicated a route north to Upolu Point, to Hilo, to South Point, and to Kona via the shoreline. Approach radar at Hilo International Airport first detected the airplane approximately 15 nautical miles north of Hilo at 1101; it was recorded leaving Hilo radar coverage about 17 nm south of Hilo at 1117. Another Island Hopper airplane observed the accident aircraft in the area of Kalapana at approximately 1130.
When the airplane did not return to Kailua-Kona as scheduled, a search commenced. By the following day, the search became an island-wide multi-agency effort. On June 22, at approximately 0600, the airplane was found in a rain forest on the southeastern side of Mauna Loa volcano.
Personnel Information
The 40-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single- and multi-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. He was also a flight instructor and ground instructor. His most recent second-class FAA medical certificate was issued on June 20, 2007, and he reported taking medication for high blood pressure.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a 1974 Cessna 172M, a single-engine, propeller-driven, four-seat aircraft with dual flight controls. Its maximum takeoff gross weight was 2,300 pounds. Maintenance records indicated an empty weight of 1,434 pounds; the operator estimated the accident weight at 2,012 pounds. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320-E2D engine rated at 150 horsepower. The last annual inspection was performed on August 24, 2007, and the last 100-hour inspection on May 23, 2008. The airframe had 12,921 hours at the last inspection.
Meteorological Information
At 1153, weather at Hilo International Airport (elevation 38 feet) was: wind from 110 degrees at 13 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; clear of clouds; temperature 82°F; dew point 66°F; altimeter 30.07 inHg. A NTSB meteorologist indicated the island was exposed to light southeasterly trade winds. The flight would have encountered two low-level cloud layers on the windward side with bases at about 3,500 and 7,000 feet, tops generally about 7,500 feet in the morning, developing to greater than 14,000 feet by early afternoon. The accident site was near the western edge of the cloud layer at 1130, and the cloud mass expanded westward over the following hour. Patchy rain or drizzle was likely around the accident time.
A witness on the ground heard the airplane at about noon, describing a deep rumble that suddenly stopped. The witness reported very foggy, misting, and rainy conditions. A helicopter pilot had lowered the witness into the forest about an hour earlier; the pilot terminated his last planned trip due to deteriorating weather including clouds, mist, and volcanic haze.
The pilot received a standard weather briefing at 0944. The briefer noted no airmets or sigmets, but a temporary flight restriction and volcanic advisory. For the accident area, the briefer stated: "from Upolu Point all the way to Apua Point to the west southwest portion of the island, you can expect three thousand scattered, five thousand broken to overcast, tops niner thousand, isolated three thousand broken. Visibility five with moderate rain showers."
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane was found on the side of Mauna Loa at 4,500 feet elevation, about 9 nm inland. Terrain was moderately sloped, rugged volcanic rock, covered with thick ferns and trees. The swath of downed vegetation was on a 300-degree track. The fuselage was inverted; the right wing outboard of the aileron was in a tree about 100 feet from the main wreckage.
The left wing remained attached; its leading edge was compressed aft. A tree impact about 4 feet from the fuselage deformed the wing to the spar. The separated right wing tip was found 20 feet up in a tree with two significant tree impact signatures. The inboard right wing was buckled, exposing the fuel tank. The empennage was bent and partially connected; the right horizontal stabilizer was bent, crushed, and nearly separated. Flight control cable continuity was confirmed.
The engine's crankshaft rotated freely. Compression was observed in proper order on all cylinders. The valve train operated properly and appeared free of preimpact malfunction. Mechanical continuity was established throughout. Combustion signatures were consistent with normal operation. Propeller blades showed leading edge gouging, torsional twisting, chordwise striations, and trailing edge S-bending.
No evidence of preimpact mechanical discrepancies was found with the airframe or engine. There was no postimpact fire.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Hawaii County Police Department ordered an autopsy on the pilot, performed on June 24, 2008, by the Department of Pathology, Hilo Medical Center. The cause of death was determined to be craniocerebral trauma. The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute performed toxicology tests; results were negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and volatiles. Blood and urine tested positive for Losartan and Metoprolol, medications used to treat high blood pressure.