De Havilland DHC-6-300 N707PV

Summary

On 29 October 1989 at about 04:37 local time, a De Havilland DHC-6-300 registered N707PV was involved in an accident near Halawa, Molokai, Hawaii, United States. 20 people were on board and 20 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 October 1989 at 04:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Halawa, Molokai, Hawaii, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

De Havilland DHC-6-300

Registration

N707PV

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Maui → Molokai

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DCA90MA005

20 people died.

THE AIRPLANE'S CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN AS A RESULT OF THE DECISION OF THE CAPTAIN TO CONTINUE FLIGHT UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES AT NIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), WHICH OBSCURED RISING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF PERSONNEL, TRAINING, AND OPERATIONS BY ALOHA ISLANDAIR MANAGEMENT AND INSUFFICIENT OVERSIGHT OF ALOHA ISLANDAIR BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION PARTICULARILY DURING A PERIOD OF RAPID OPERATIONAL EXPANSION. (REF: NTSB/AAR-90/05)

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

DE HAVILLAND DHC-6, N707PV (ALOHA ISLANDAIR FLT 1712), COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS/HILLY TERRAIN NEAR HALAWA BAY, HI, WHILE EN ROUTE ON A SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLT AT NIGHT FROM MAUI TO MOLOKAI, HI. IMPACT OCCURRED AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 500 FT, SHORTLY AFTER THE ACFT HAD DESCENDED OVER WATER, THEN CROSSED THE SHORELINE. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE CAPTAIN HAD MADE A NAVIGATIONAL ERROR & MISTAKENLY BELIEVED THAT HE WAS CIRCUMNAVIGATING THE NORTHERN PORTION OF MOKOKAI ISLAND. THE ACFT CRASHED WHILE ON A HEADING THAT WAS PARALLEL WITH THE ISLAND'S NORTHERN SHORELINE. LOW CLOUDS OBSCURED THE MTN TOPS IN THE AREA OF THE ACDNT. THERE WAS ALSO EVIDENCE OF INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF PSNL, TRAINING & OPNS BY ALOHA ISLANDAIR MANAGEMENT & INSUFFICIENT OVERSIGHT OF ALOHA ISLANDAIR BY THE FAA DURING A PERIOD OF ALOHA ISLANDAIR'S RAPID OPNL EXPANSION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.