Cessna 182B accident near Hawi, Hawaii, August 28, 2024
On August 28, 2024 at about 8:50 pm local time, a 1959 Cessna 182B, registered N2728B, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Hawi, Hawaii (Upolu airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The airplane’s loss of engine power due to carburetor ice that formed during a long descent, contributing to the outcome is the pilot’s delayed use of carburetor heat.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2024 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Hawi, Hawaii · Upolu · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182B, built 1959 · all 182Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2728B · registry record · serial 52028
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, after dropping skydivers, he began a spiraling descent from 8,500 ft mean sea level (msl) to return to the Upolo Airport (PHUP) in Hawi, Hawaii. As the airplane descended to an altitude of about 300 ft agl (Above Ground Level), the pilot increased the throttle, but the engine did not respond. He completed steps to troubleshoot the loss of power, but power was not established. The pilot made a forced landing in a field about a mile west of the airport; the airplane encountered uneven terrain, the nose gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and engine compartment. Postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Fuel was found in the fuel tanks and carburetor. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at glide (idle) engine power. Although the pilot reported that he used carburetor heat, it is likely that the ice had already accumulated to the degree that the carburetor heat was insufficient to melt the ice and restore full engine power. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the airplane’s engine is highly susceptible to ice formation during a descent and the use of carburetor heat is recommended.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Fuel related during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,097 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 912 as pilot in command; 754 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 13, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,792 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 6, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 25 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 am from AWC, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N2728B 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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ANC24LA084.