Beechcraft 65-A90 N256TA

Summary

On 22 June 2019 at about 04:22 local time, a Beechcraft 65-A90 registered N256TA, operated by Oahu Parachute Center, was involved in an accident near Mokuleia, Hawaii, United States. 11 people were on board and 11 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 June 2019 at 04:22

Classification

Accident

Location

Mokuleia, Hawaii, United States

Nearest airport

Dillingham Airfield (HDH)

Coordinates

21.5806, -158.1883

Aircraft

Beechcraft 65-A90

Registration

N256TA

Category

Airplane

Year built

1967

Engines

2

Operator

Oahu Parachute Center

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Skydiving

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mokuleia → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR19MA177

11 people died.

The pilot’s aggressive takeoff maneuver, which resulted in an accelerated stall and subsequent loss of control at an altitude that was too low for recovery. Contributing to the accident were (1) the operation of the airplane near its aft center of gravity limit and the pilot’s lack of training and experience with the handling qualities of the airplane in this flight regime; (2) the failure of Oahu Parachute Center and its contract mechanic to maintain the airplane in an airworthy condition and to detect and repair the airplane’s twisted left wing, which reduced the airplane’s stall margin; and (3) the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) insufficient regulatory framework for overseeing parachute jump operations. Contributing to the pilot’s training deficiencies was the FAA’s lack of awareness that the pilot’s flight instructor was providing substandard training.

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