Cessna 172P accident near Kekaha, Hawaii, March 21, 2022
On March 21, 2022, a 1985 Cessna 172P, registered N98763, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Kekaha, Hawaii. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper decision to continue the visual-flight-rules flight into low visibility conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 2022
- Place
- Kekaha, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P, built 1985 · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N98763 · registry record · serial 17276344
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed on a visual-flight-rules flight to conduct a routine hurricane/tsunami warning mission. The standard flight route was to fly inland, passing a radar dome before turning west toward the coast. The airplane was then to fly offshore, following the coastline around the island. Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS–B) data showed the airplane never made the turn to the coast and it continued over land and up a ridgeline. The airplane impacted a near-vertical mountain side in a nose-up, wings-level attitude. Witnesses reported hearing the airplane, but they were unable to see it due to the poor visibility near the accident site. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed leading edge damage to both wings indicative of a controlled flight into terrain. An examination of the available wreckage did not reveal any anomalies that would have prevented normal operation of the flight controls. Although several engine components were not located at the accident site, witnesses reported hearing the engine operating up to the time of impact. Toxicology testing of the pilot’s blood detected the presence of gabapentin, which can produce impairing effect such as sleepiness, dizziness, and/or diminished coordination. However, if the pilot’s judgment was impaired, the copilot could have mitigated his improper decision making. Thus, it is unlikely that gabapentin’s effects on the pilot contributed to the accident. Based on the level attitude of the airplane when it impacted the rising terrain, it is likely the pilot had control of the airplane and flew into terrain that was obscured by the poor visibility.
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
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low visibility › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Last flight review: November 22, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Last flight review: November 21, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,463 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 2021; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 3,183 hours total
- Not recorded
- Operator: Civil Air Patrol INC
The flight
- Departed from: LIH Lihue HI
- Destination: LIH Lihue HI
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from PHBK, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PHBK 210151Z AUTO 32008KT 10SM OVC043 25/19 A2998 RMK AO2 RAB28E39 SLP152 P0000 T02500189
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N98763 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC22LA025.