Piper PA-28-140 N319FC

Summary

On 15 June 2001 at about 06:44 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N319FC, operated by Mueller Aviation, was involved in an accident near Lanai City, Hawaii, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 June 2001 at 06:44

Classification

Accident

Location

Lanai City, Hawaii, United States

Nearest airport

Lanai (LNY)

Coordinates

20.8828, -156.9650

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N319FC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Mueller Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Honolulu → Kapalua, Maui

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

LAX01FA208

1 person died.

the CFI's inadequate in-flight planning/decision making, inadequate supervision, and his delayed remedial action, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aircraft collided with terrain during a night cross-country dual instructional flight. Prior to the flight, the student obtained an abbreviated weather briefing. A preflight specialist advised, "VFR flight was not recommended" along a portion of the planned flight route. Along the planned route of flight multiple scattered to broken cloud layers were forecast from 2,000 feet msl to 6,500 feet, with few clouds at 1,000 feet, and tops at 8,000 feet. The student filed a flight plan for cruise flight at an altitude of 3,000 feet msl between islands. The accident site was at 1,760 feet msl. The flight departed its home base about 1945. Sunset was at 1910, and the end of civil twilight was 1934. During an en route contact with an FAA Automated Flight Service Station, the student asked if the filed destination airport was public or private. The specialist advised the student that it was a private airport. The student cancelled the flight plan, and indicated that they were returning to the departure airport. The student pilot was flying the airplane and as weather conditions deteriorated, the certified flight instructor (CFI) advised the student to make a right turn. Instead, the student made a left, descending turn into a cloud. The CFI took control of the airplane, and initiated a climb; however, the airplane impacted the ground. Post accident examination revealed no mechanical anomalies with the airframe or engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.