Kahului Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Kahului, Hawaii 96732
Saturday, December 1, 2012 19:00 HST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

On December 1, 2012, at 1900 Hawaiian standard time, a Cessna 172S, N3554Y, impacted the Pacific Ocean about 5 miles from Kahului Airport (OGG), Kahului, Maui, Hawaii. The owner/pilot operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The pilot, the sole occupant, is presumed to have received fatal injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight from OGG to Molokai Airport (MKK), Kaunakakai, Molokai, Hawaii. No flight plan had been filed. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight departed about 6 minutes prior to the accident. Shortly before the accident occurred, an Air Traffic Control (ATC) specialist noted an erratic flight pattern and contacted the pilot. The pilot declined assistance and informed ATC that he planned to make a right 360-degree turn and track inbound to the MKK VOR. The ATC specialist reported that instead of a right 360-degree turn, the airplaneā€™s radar track showed a left descending turn and was then lost from radar. The FAA reported that the airplane's last known altitude was 700 feet. The Coast Guard responded to the last known position and commenced search and rescue (SAR) efforts. The Coast Guard recovered a portion of one of the landing gear, along with some interior airplane parts; however, the main wreckage was not located. SAR efforts were suspended on December 3, 2012.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/1/2012
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1900
Event Time Zone Hawaii Standard Time
Event City Kahului
Event State HAWAII
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 96732
Event Date Year 2012
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 210134N
Event Location Longitude 1562715W
Event Location Airport Kahului Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID OGG
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 6
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 54
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1854 Hawaii Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID OGG
Elevation of weather observation facility 54
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 6
Time Zone of the weather observation HST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2500
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) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 19
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 250
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.03
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) --
NTSB Notification Source FAA AWP Operations Center
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2012 4:25PM
User who most recently changed record coos
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3554Y
NTSB Number WPR13LA062
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 172S
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 172S8956
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection --
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name KRALL JOSE H
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City WAILUKU
Aircraft Owner State HI
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 96793-1627
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name KRALL JOSE H
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City WAILUKU
Operator State HI
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 96793-1627
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code OGG
Departure City Kahului
Departure State HI
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1854
Departure Time Zone HST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code MKK
Destination City Kaunakakai
Destination State HI
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2012 4:23PM
User who most recently changed record coos
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location N/A
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --