Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kaunakakai, Hawaii 96748
Wednesday, January 31, 2007 15:40 HST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane encountered severe turbulence during an en route descent and a captain who was deadheading was not secured in his seat and received serious injuries. The airplane was being positioned to another airport, and had a deadheading flight crew on board. Prior to the descent, the captain noted an airspeed anomaly for the existing power setting. He also observed that the flap indicator showed a "slight" deployment of the flaps. He requested that the deadheading captain look out a cabin window, and verify the flap position. The deadheading captain reported to the flying captain that the flaps were in the fully retracted position. About this time, ATC personnel requested that a descent be initiated, which the flight crew initiated by reducing the power to slow down the airplane. As the deadheading captain was making his way back to his cabin seat, the airplane encountered severe turbulence, which lasted about 5 to 10 seconds. He was thrown about the cabin and injured. The flying captain declared an emergency. The flight landed without incident, and taxied to the gate where the injured crewmember was transported to the hospital. A review was conducted of the ATC air-ground recordings between Maui approach control (APCON), two other airplanes flying in the area, and the accident airplane (Moku 979). Prior to Moku 979 checking in with Maui approach, the two other airplanes reported moderate turbulence at 4,000 feet, and moderate to occasional severe turbulence between 2,000 and 2,500 feet. Both airplanes were about 15 miles east of Maui, in the general vicinity of the accident airplane. The controller contacted FSS, and advised them of the PIREP's. About 75 seconds later, Moku 979 reported in to the approach control. The controller told them to "expect lower in 5 miles." The controller did not advise Moku 979 of the reported turbulence in the area. Ninety-five seconds later the controller instructed Moku 979 to begin a descent to 1,500 feet. Fifteen seconds later Moku 979 declared an emergency and reported the injury.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
an in-flight encounter with clear air turbulence, which resulted in a serious injury to a deadheading crewmember.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/31/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1540 |
| Event Time Zone | Hawaii Standard Time |
| Event City | Kaunakakai |
| Event State | HAWAII |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96748 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 210901N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1570548W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1400 Hawaii Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 71 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PHMK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 454 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | HST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 23 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 34 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.76 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 5 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 21320 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 31 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 25 2007 2:54PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-FSDO- Honolulu |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N979HA |
| NTSB Number | LAX07CA077 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | -- |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Bombardier, Inc. |
| Aircraft Model | DHC-8-103 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 373 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 35200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 41 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 28080 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Wells Fargo Bank Northwest |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | -- |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Hawaii Island Air |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 99 Kapalulu Place |
| Operator City | Honolulu |
| Operator State | HI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 96819 |
| Operator Code | KPVA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | HNL |
| Departure City | HONOLULU |
| Departure State | HI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | OGG |
| Destination City | KAHULUI |
| Destination State | HI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent - normal |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 5 2007 3:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |