Piper PA-28-140 accident near Lanai City, Hawaii, June 15, 2001
On June 15, 2001 at about 6:44 am local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N319FC, was destroyed in an accident near Lanai City, Hawaii (Lanai airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the CFI's inadequate in-flight planning/decision making, inadequate supervision, and his delayed remedial action, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 2001 · about 6:44 am local time
- Place
- Lanai City, Hawaii · Lanai · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N319FC · no longer on the register · serial 28-25157
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft collided with terrain during a night cross-country dual instructional flight. Prior to the flight, the student obtained an abbreviated weather briefing. A preflight specialist advised, "VFR flight was not recommended" along a portion of the planned flight route. Along the planned route of flight multiple scattered to broken cloud layers were forecast from 2,000 feet msl to 6,500 feet, with few clouds at 1,000 feet, and tops at 8,000 feet. The student filed a flight plan for cruise flight at an altitude of 3,000 feet msl between islands. The accident site was at 1,760 feet msl. The flight departed its home base about 1945. Sunset was at 1910, and the end of civil twilight was 1934. During an en route contact with an FAA Automated Flight Service Station, the student asked if the filed destination airport was public or private. The specialist advised the student that it was a private airport. The student cancelled the flight plan, and indicated that they were returning to the departure airport. The student pilot was flying the airplane and as weather conditions deteriorated, the certified flight instructor (CFI) advised the student to make a right turn. Instead, the student made a left, descending turn into a cloud. The CFI took control of the airplane, and initiated a climb; however, the airplane impacted the ground. Post accident examination revealed no mechanical anomalies with the airframe or engine.
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
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: 382 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 63 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 307 as pilot in command; 54 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 15 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,081.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 1, 2001; 24.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mueller Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: HNL Honolulu HI at 6:00 am
- Destination: JHM Kapalua, Maui HI
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 040° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 am from LNY, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
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.