Lanai Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lanai City, Hawaii 96763
Saturday, October 11, 1997 15:00 HST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

While practicing touch-and-go landings the pilot gave permission to his passenger to place his hands on the yoke. The purpose was to allow the passenger to feel what the pilot was doing during the flight. The passenger had been briefed that the pilot was going to raise the nose of the aircraft during the landing sequence. At this point, the passenger pushed the yoke forward and a struggle for the aircraft controls took place between the pilot and the passenger. The pilot was able to reestablish control of the aircraft before impacting the runway, but it resulted in a hard landing. When questioned by the pilot regarding his [the passenger's] actions during the landing, the passenger stated that he thought that the pilot needed his assistance in landing. The passenger reacted automatically when he perceived that the pilot was having trouble raising the nose of the aircraft. Witnesses to the accident reported that as the aircraft got close to the runway it dropped about 50 to 60 feet straight down to the ground. Both witnesses reported that weather was not a factor.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Interference on the controls by the passenger as the aircraft neared touchdown, and the pilot's failure to adequately brief and supervise the passenger on the use and relinquishing of the flight controls. A factor in the accident was the intentional control interference of the passenger.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/11/1997
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1500
Event Time Zone Hawaii Standard Time
Event City LANAI CITY
Event State HAWAII
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 96763
Event Date Year 1997
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport LANAI
Event Location Nearest Airport ID LNY
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 1308
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1455 Hawaii Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID LNY
Elevation of weather observation facility 1308
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation HST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 20000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 8000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 25
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 22
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Light and Variable
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1115
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 11 1997 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1848
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 12:37PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N836FC
NTSB Number LAX98LA010
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Piper
Aircraft Model PA-28-140
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-140
Aircraft Serial Number 28-22236
Certified Max Gross Weight 2150
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Oct 9 1997 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 1
Airframe Hours 5699
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name HELICOPTER CONSULTANTS OF MAUI
Aircraft Owner Street Address 105 KAHULUI HELIPORT
Aircraft Owner City KAHULUI
Aircraft Owner State HI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 96372
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DAVID CHEVALIER
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2837 LIHOLANI ST.
Operator City PAKULANI
Operator State HI
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 96768
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code OGG
Departure City KAHULUI
Departure State HI
Departure Country
Departure Time 1430
Departure Time Zone HST
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code LNY
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 21
Runway Length 5001
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --