N911FC

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On January 25, 2003, at 1222 Hawaiian standard time, a single engine Cessna 172N airplane, N911FC, was destroyed when it impacted mountainous terrain while maneuvering approximately 5 miles east of the town of Kalaupapa on the island of Molokai, Hawaii. The student pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to a private individual and was operated by George's Aviation Service, Inc., of Honolulu, Hawaii. The solo instructional flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The cross-country flight originated from the Honolulu International Airport (HNL), Honolulu, approximately 1140, and was destined for the Kahului Airport (OGG) on Maui Island, Hawaii. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed at the accident site at the time of the accident, and the student pilot had filed a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan for the flight.

According to the student's flight instructor, the student was to fly from Oahu to Maui by flying over the north shore of Molokai at 3,500 feet msl. The student was utilizing an island reporting method to report his current and forecast positions to air traffic controllers and flight service stations (FSS). Reports from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicate that the student spoke with the Molokai air traffic control tower. The student was instructed to contact Honolulu radio after leaving the Molokai control area; however, the Honolulu (HNL) FSS never received the pilot's next position report (which was supposed to be over Cape Halawa on the east side of the island).

When the FSS did not receive the next radio call from the student, they issued an "alert notice (ALNOT)" for a missing aircraft. The U.S. Coast Guard started search and rescue mission flights approximately 1400. Interviews with the Coast Guard pilots, who executed the initial search efforts, revealed they encountered visual meteorological conditions (VMC) from Honolulu to the west side of Molokai. They observed hazier visibility conditions when they neared the northwest side of the island. The pilots reported encountering instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) once they passed halfway over the island, with cloud ceilings around 500 feet and visibility between 1-2 miles.

Weather hampered search efforts until January 27, 2003, when a Maui Fire Department helicopter spotted the wreckage on the west slope of the Manuahi Ridge. The burned remains of the wreckage were located approximately 1,500 feet above sea level, approximately 75 feet below the crest of the ridge.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot obtained his third-class medical certificate and student pilot certificate on November 20, 2002. His medical certificate had no limitations placed upon it. The pilot's logbook, endorsements, and medical certificate were not located during the investigation, and were presumed burned in the wreckage. The flight school's records and flight instructor's logbook were utilized to determine the student's flight history.

The student had accumulated approximately 33 total flight hours. Of those 33 hours, the student had flown 1.2 hours of simulated instrument flight time, and 1.7 hours of pilot-in-command solo time. According to his flight instructor, this was his first solo cross-country flight. He had flown two cross-country flights with his flight instructor prior to the solo, one of which was along the same route of flight as the one the student was flying the day of the accident. The similar dual cross-country flight was conducted on January 18, 2003.

Review of the student's pre solo written examination revealed he was asked to, "Explain student pilot limitations concerning visibility and flight above the clouds." The student answered, "you can't be pilot-in-command if visibility is less than 3 statute miles during daylight or 5 statute miles at night [or] when the flight can't be made with visual references to surface."

During an interview with the flight instructor conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC), she indicated she was confident in the student's cross-country flying ability, and reported he was comfortable using navigation aides during his flights. When asked about the student's diversion training, the flight instructor reported she instructed her student to turn around and return to the departure airport if at anytime he could not visually locate the next checkpoint.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The four-seat, high-wing airplane was powered by a 160-horsepower Lycoming O-320-H2AD engine. The airplane and engine underwent their last 100-hour inspection on January 19, 2003, at an aircraft total time of 8,763.5 hours, and a total time since engine overhaul of 323.7 hours. The aircraft underwent its last annual inspection on October 29, 2002, at an aircraft total time of 8,476.7 hours and a time since engine overhaul of 36.9 hours. The engine was last overhauled on October 6, 2002.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL AND RADAR DATA

The student filed a flight plan with the HNL FSS. According to the flight instructor, the student's planned route of flight was from Honolulu International Airport (Oahu) to Kahului Airport (Maui) via the north shore of Molokai, then return from Kahului, land at Molokai Airport, and finish back at Honolulu. The instructor added the student was to fly at an elevation of 3,500 feet on the way to Maui and 3,000 feet on the way back.

Review of unclassified radar data provided by the U.S. Army, revealed the accident airplane was at an altitude of 2,200 feet as it initially crossed the channel eastbound between Oahu and Molokai. Approximately midway over the channel, the radar data depicted the airplane at 1,700 feet. As the accident aircraft neared the east end of the channel, radar data depicted its altitude as 2,600 feet; however, as the airplane approached Ilio Point (on the northwest corner of Molokai), radar data depicted the airplane descending to 1,000 feet. The airplane proceeded eastbound along the north shore of Molokai and remained between 1,000 and 1,200 feet. As the airplane crossed over the Kalaupapa Peninsula, the radar data depicted the airplane at 1,300 feet. The last four radar returns provided by the Army radar service depicted the airplane level at 1,500 feet as it turned south towards the north coast of Molokai. The last radar return was in the vicinity of the accident site at 1221:07.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

According to the flight instructor, the student visited the HNL FSS between 0824 and 0900, for a personal weather briefing. The flight instructor then called the HNL FSS and obtained a weather briefing for the student's planned route of flight. The flight instructor met with the student at the airport approximately 1030, to review the weather printout and flight plan information.

The printed material, utilized for both the student's and the instructor's briefings, was provided to the Safety Board IIC. It should be noted that the island of Hawaii is referred to as the Big Island in the provided weather information.

Printed Weather Used for Student Briefing:

Review of the weather briefing material for the student revealed an area summary indicating a frontal shower band had just cleared the island of Molokai and was arriving over the Big Island. The summary continued by indicating the islands of Maui and Lanai would be clearing later in the morning.

An AIRMET for mountain obscurement over the islands of Lanai, Maui, and the Big Island was issued for temporary mountain obscurement above 2,000 feet in clouds and showers. The mountain obscurement conditions were forecast to end over the islands of Lanai and Maui after 1100.

An AIRMET for turbulence over the islands of Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Big Island was issued indicating temporary moderate turbulence was expected below 7,000 feet with the condition ending on Oahu and Molokai after 1000.

The current weather conditions provided to the student were as follows:

At 0753, in Honolulu, the wind was reported from 360 degrees at 4 knots; visibility was 10 statute miles; there were broken clouds at 7,000 feet agl; and the temperature was 20 degrees Celsius with a dew point of 18 degrees Celsius; and the altimeter setting was 29.97 inches of mercury.

At 0754, the Molokai Airport weather observation facility reported the wind from 010 degrees at 4 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; few clouds at 1,500 feet; temperature and dew point of 20 degrees Celsius; and an altimeter setting of 29.99 inches of mercury.

At 0754, the Kahului Airport (Maui) weather observation facility reported the wind from 090 degrees at 3 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; broken clouds at 4,500 feet agl; and an altimeter setting of 29.98 inches of mercury.

One of the pilot reports (PIREP) listed on the student's briefing information was provided by a Cessna 150 at 0830, between Koko Head (on the island of Oahu) and the Lanai Airport at 1,500 feet. The PIREP indicated the sky conditions as scattered between 2,000 and 2,500 feet, and broken at 7,000 feet, and a flight visibility of 10 statute miles. Another PIREP was issued at 0845 by the pilot of a Cessna 150 over the Koko Head/Molokai channel, which indicated the sky conditions were clear and the flight visibility was 10 statute miles. The remarks of that PIREP indicated "beautiful VFR conditions."

The Honolulu Area Forecast had a synopsis of the front dissipating over the Big Island moving east at 15 knots. The forecast for Oahu and Molokai was for scattered clouds at 4,000 feet agl, and temporarily scattered clouds at 3,000 feet and 4,000 feet with cloud tops at 5,000 feet. There was a chance of isolated clouds at 2,500 feet and light rain showers. The area forecast outlook called for VFR conditions.

The area forecast for south and west facing slopes, the coast, and adjacent waters of Lanai and Mau...