Incident
The accident occurred following a night takeoff from Honolulu. While the airplane was climbing, at an altitude of approximately 600 feet, it collided with a 35-foot-high wooden utility pole and a 50-foot-high tubular steel microwave antenna tower. The collision caused the airplane to crash and burst into flames, resulting in the deaths of both occupants on board.
Probable Cause
The official investigation identified the probable cause as a collision with wires and poles due to inadequate preflight preparation by the crew. This lack of preparation led to the aircraft encountering obstacles during the initial climb.
Contributing Factors
Several contributing factors were noted in the investigation. The crew continued flight under visual flight rules (VFR) into adverse weather conditions. These conditions included a low cloud ceiling, rain, thunderstorm activity, and visibility of three miles or less. The combination of these factors hindered the crew's ability to avoid the obstacles.