Gippsland GA-8 accident near Lihue, Hawaii, February 28, 2025
On February 28, 2025 at about 8:58 pm local time, a 2006 Gippsland GA-8, registered N699AV, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Lihue, Hawaii (Lihue Airport). It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 5 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the right landing gear leg due to a fatigue crack, which resulted in its separation from the airplane during taxi. Contributing to the accident, was the mechanic’s inadequate inspection of the landing gear leg during the last maintenance inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2025 · about 8:58 pm local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- Lihue, Hawaii · Lihue Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 5 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Gippsland GA-8, built 2006 · all GA-8s on the register
- Registration
- N699AV · registry record · serial GA8-06-106
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made a normal approach with full flaps and landed on the runway. While taxiing to parking the right landing gear leg collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and the right wing. Postaccident examination showed that the right main landing gear leg failed from a fatigue crack that had developed in the gear leg and was not identified during annual maintenance inspections. There were visible oxides, corrosion pits, bubbled paint adjacent to the fracture surface, consistent with the presence of underlying corrosion damage. The fatigue crack should have been discovered during the recent inspection.
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
- Landing gear collapse during taxi (from runway)
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Failure other cases naming the landing gear
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Maintenance personnel
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › (general) › (general) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: unmanned (suas)
- Flight time: 1,271.5 hours in all; 852.1 in this make and model; 102.5 in the last 90 days; 39.1 in the last 30 days; 1,118 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 14, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,299.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 17, 2025; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K145 (piston); 6,539 hours total
- Operator: Air Ventures Hawaii LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PHLI Lihue HI at 8:07 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,100 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 11:25 am from PHLI
Weather report (METAR): PHLI 282125Z 19015G23KT 10SM -RA SCT025 BKN031 BKN039 27/21 A3008 RMK AO2 P0000 T02670206
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 4 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Accident airplane after recovery
Photograph 2 – Damage to the right wing
Photograph 3 – Damage to the right wingThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on December 10, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report 25-053 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Wreckage Examination | PDF, 17 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Record 100HR Landing Gear | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N699AV on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Gippsland GA-8 21 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Gippsland 23 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K145 4,220 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Lihue Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Hawaii 523 since 1982 · 85 in the last ten years
- Hawaii 695 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC25LA021.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.