What happened
During a nighttime flight under visual flight rules (VFR), a twin engine airplane was attempting to approach Kahului Airport. While navigating through rain showers and a cloud ceiling of approximately 2,000 feet, the pilot experienced spatial disorientation. This led to an inability to identify the intended destination airport.
As the aircraft continued past the airfield over terrain that was unlit and dark, it collided with a hill. The impact resulted in a post-crash fire. There was one fatality involving the pilot.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the primary factor in the accident was that the pilot became disoriented while flying at night, which prevented him from locating the airport before the aircraft struck the ground.