Cessna 208 incident near Kalaupapa, Hawaii, April 21, 2004
On April 21, 2004 at about 1:35 am local time, a Cessna 208, registered N302PW, was involved in an incident near Kalaupapa, Hawaii. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight encounter with turbulence during cruise flight, which resulted in a minor injury to a passenger. On February 7, 2006, this occurrence was reclassified from an accident to an incident and this narrative was modified.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2004 · about 1:35 am local time
- Place
- Kalaupapa, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 4 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208 · all 208s on the register
- Registration
- N302PW · no longer on the register · serial 208B0984
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting a scheduled commuter flight between the Hawaiian Islands of Maui and Oahu with four passengers. The flight route was along the northern shores of the mountainous island of Molokai. The pilot climbed the airplane to 2,500 feet msl for the flight between the two island communities. Once the flight was within gliding distance of the northern shore of Molokai, the flight descended to 1,000 feet msl to allow the passengers a view of the coastline on the left side of the airplane. The coastline along the northern shore of Molokai has a 3,000-foot high cliff. As the flight progressed westbound along the coastline, the airplane encountered turbulence and dropped abruptly. During the turbulence, a passenger seated in the rear-most row of seats, on the right side of the airplane, struck his head on an air vent located just above his seat, and sustained a scalp laceration. Immediately after the turbulence encounter, the pilot climbed the airplane and proceeded directly to the flight's destination airport of Honolulu, and landed without further incident. After arrival in Honolulu, the passenger was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. On February 7, 2006, this occurrence was reclassified from an accident to an incident and this narrative was modified.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,789 hours in all; 1,438 in this make and model; 273 in the last 90 days; 86 in the last 30 days; 711 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 13, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,799.6 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 15, 2004; 33.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,750 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-114A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGG Kahului HI
- Destination: HNL Honolulu HI
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,400 ft; a few clouds at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 am from PHMK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.