Cessna 208 accident near Kalaupapa, Hawaii, March 11, 2017
On March 11, 2017 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 2002 Cessna 208, registered N865MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Kalaupapa, Hawaii (Kalaupapa airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people had minor injuries; 7 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's attempted aborted landing late in the landing sequence because she saw another airplane on the runway facing her with its propeller turning, which resulted in a hard landing, a subsequent loss of directional control, and ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 2017 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kalaupapa, Hawaii · Kalaupapa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 7 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208, built 2002 · all 208s on the register
- Registration
- N865MA · registry record · serial 208B0996
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
**This report was modified on September 17, 2020. Please see the public docket for this accident to view the original report.** The pilot of the commuter airplane reported that she was going to establish an approach and landing on runway 05 at an airport with a single runway and no taxiways. While on a 7-mile final, she communicated with the pilot of an airplane that was on short final for the same airport. The pilot that was on short final reported that he would report when he was clear of the runway, and he did. The commuter pilot acknowledged the other pilot's clear-of-runway transmission and initiated the approach. As the pilot began the transition to land, she noticed that the airplane that she had communicated with was not clear of the runway. The airplane on the ground was near the runway 23 numbers with the propeller turning facing toward her landing airplane. She aborted the landing, but the airplane did not climb. The airplane impacted the runway hard and bounced. She reported that, when the airplane touched down after the bounce, she "applied left rudder pedal to steer the aircraft off the runway and out of the way of the other aircraft's possible flight path." The airplane exited the left side of the runway and ground-looped to the left. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right side of the fuselage and the right wing. Markings on the runway show the propeller struck the runway multiple times in a low pitch configuration before it became feathered. After the groundloop, the pilot of the airplane near the runway 23 numbers attempted to take off. He was contacted via radio transmission by the airport manager and told that the runway was closed until further notice. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety inspector, the FAA’s postaccident examination of the accident airplane determined that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have prevented normal operation.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Aircraft › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Climb capability › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,002 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 44 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 1,674 as pilot in command; 1,200 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 28, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 8,750 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A SER (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Schuman Aviation CO. LTD
The flight
- Departed from: PHNL Honolulu HI at 6:00 pm
- Destination: PHLU Kalaupapa HI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 2,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 am from PHMK, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 7 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on September 1, 2017. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot's Complete Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pic's Written Statement to Operator | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Changes to GAA17CA191 Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Record of Conversation with FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | NTSB - Adopted Original Board Report | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 8 | NTSB - Adopted Revised Final Board Report | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 9 | GAA17CA191 Kalaupapa Petition Letter for Reconsideration | PDF, 104 pages | View Download |
| 10 | GAA17CA191 Kalaupapa Petition Response Correspondence | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N865MA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.