Piper PA-31-350 N712AN
24 December 1987 · Maunaloa, Hawaii, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 24 December 1987 at about 04:53 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N712AN, operated by Panorama Air Tours, was involved in an accident near Maunaloa, Hawaii, United States. 8 people were on board and 8 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 04:53
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Maunaloa, Hawaii, United States
- Coordinates
- 21.1309, -157.2107
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350
- Registration
- N712AN
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Panorama Air Tours
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Honolulu → Molokai
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- LAX88FA075
People
8 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.
Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE FLIGHT WAS TO BE FLOWN ACROSS A 22 MILE CHANNEL BETWEEN ISLANDS ON AN OVERCAST NIGHT WITH NO MOON AND NO GROUND REFERENCE LIGHTS. THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AND, AFTER EXTENSIVE SEARCHES, COULD NOT BE FOUND. A THREE DIMENSIONAL FLIGHT TRACK WAS RECONSTRUCTED USING RECORDED RADAR DATA. THE DATA INDICATED THAT IN THE LAST 60 SEC THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED FROM 170 TO 95 KTS, GAINED 500 FT IN ALTITUDE, AND TURNED LEFT 190 DEGREES BEFORE ABRUPTLY DISAPPEARING FROM RADAR. FLIGHT TESTS INDICATED THAT THE MOVEMENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT IN THE LAST 60 SEC OF THE FLIGHT WERE CONSISTENT WITH A LOSS OF THE LEFT ENGINE, WITHOUT COMPENSATION BY THE PILOT. THE OPERATOR'S TRAINING PROGRAM DID NOT PROVIDE FOR NIGHT OR INSTRUMENT FLIGHT CONDITIONS. THE LAST DOCUMENTED INSTRUMENT TIME FOR THE PILOT WAS 15 MONTHS PRIOR DURING A CHECKRIDE. THE PILOT FLEW SPORADIC NIGHT FLIGHTS. THE PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN DURING THE DAY AND WAS ON HIS THIRTEENTH HOUR OF DUTY. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND INJURY INDEX PRESUMED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-31 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Feb 1987 | Piper PA-31 | Denver, Colorado, United States | Western Aviators | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 1987 | Piper PA-31-350 | Independence, Missouri, United States | - | Fatal | 6 |
| 19 Mar 1987 | Piper PA-31-350 | Missoula, Montana, United States | Bighorn Airways, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 23 Dec 1987 | Piper PA-31-350 | Kenai, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 6 |
| 11 Nov 1987 | Piper PA-31-310 | West Palm Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Sep 1987 | Piper PA-31-350 | Demopolis, Alabama, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jan 1987 | Cessna 172K | Lanai, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 1987 | Cessna 172C | Kahului, Hawaii, United States | Eveland Aero | No injuries | - |
| 29 Mar 1987 | Bell 206B | Kona, Hawaii, United States | Kona Helicopters, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 20 Jan 1987 | Emroth Emair MA-1B | Naalehu, Hawaii, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Feb 1987 | Glaser-Dirks DG-400 | Dillingham, Hawaii, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Apr 1987 | Nihon YS-11A | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |