HALAWA,MOLOKAI, HI, USA
N707PV
DE HAVILLAND DHC-6-300
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.
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)
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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