Boeing 737 330 accident near Lanai, Hawaii, October 17, 2014
On October 17, 2014, a 1995 Boeing 737 330, registered N301KH, was substantially damaged in an accident during prior to flight near Lanai, Hawaii (Lanai Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the improper loading and securing of the cargo pallets, which shifted on departure, resulting in substantial damage to the aft pressure bulkhead.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2014
- Place
- Lanai, Hawaii · Lanai Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 330 330, built 1995 · all 737 330s on the register
- Registration
- N301KH · registry record · serial 27904
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Aloha Air Cargo flew to an out-station with none of their personnel located there. The decision was made to limit the number of Additional Crew Members (ACMs) due to concerns about the return flight's weight and balance. With the choice of taking the load planner or the mechanic, Aloha Air Cargo made the decision to take the mechanic, which was against the company loading procedures since the mechanic was not trained on cargo securing nor were there any approved personnel at the destination to assist with loading and securing the empty pallets. Since the load planner would not be making the flight, he discussed with the mechanic on how to load the empty pallets for the return flight, which was to load and lock each empty pallet in their original loaded location. However, while in LNY, Aloha Air Cargo dispatch recommended that all the pallets be placed in position 9 due to concerns about weight and balance. It is unknown if the mechanic tried to contact the load planner to discuss the new configuration. The cargo floor locks will only secure the bottom pallet when engaged properly and not the stacked pallets. The decision was made to secure the stacked pallets with a cargo strap which was insufficient to keep the pallets from moving. Even though it was stated that during the loading process that the locks were "up" and locked, when the Marshaller entered the airplane he observed the locks between station 8 and 9 were down/unlocked. In addition, there was damage found to the right hand forward and aft locking mechanisms, implying these locks were used but failed due to overload.
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
- Aircraft loading event during prior to flight defining event
- Pressure/environ sys malf/fail during enroute (climb to cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Loading › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,840 hours in all; 14,330 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 14,995 as pilot in command; 403 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 25, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 880 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 66 in the last 30 days; 4,448 as pilot in command; 1,236 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 19, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 41,163 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 16, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 138,499 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cfm Intl CFM56-3C1 (turbofan); 43,877 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm Intl CFM56-3C1 (turbofan); 38,763 hours total
- Operator: Aloha Airlines INC
The flight
- Departed from: LNY Lanai HI
- Destination: HNL Honolulu HI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 5,001 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.