Cessna 177 accident near Hana, Hawaii, July 14, 2002
On July 14, 2002 at about 2:11 am local time, a Cessna 177, registered N306DJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hana, Hawaii. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering, which resulted in a stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2002 · about 2:11 am local time
- Place
- Hana, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N306DJ · no longer on the register · serial 17700764
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane crashed into a densely forested grove of Eucalyptus trees, in a near vertical nose down attitude. There were no witnesses to the accident. Family members indicated that the flight was to be a tour of the northeast coasts of the Molokai and Maui islands. The flight was to return by 1700 for a family function. The pilot also intended to view some recently purchased property near the accident site. An aerial survey of the accident site revealed no damage to the surrounding treetops in the Eucalyptus grove. The fuselage was uniformly crushed from the nose past the aft bulkhead area. Measured crush lines located on the fuselage near the doorframe and right main landing gear strut, and the top portion of the doorframe/fuselage spar area, revealed an 80-degree crush angle to the longitudinal axis of the airplane. Adjacent to the left wing was a large Eucalyptus tree. Multiple sections of tree bark had separated from the tree starting at a height of about 75 feet and culminating at the base of the tree. The left wing had a semicircular impact mark about midspan of the wing, with a brown color transfer similar to the Eucalyptus tree. The leading edge of the wing also had a small tree limb embedded in the impacted area of the left wing. The engine was buried about 12 inches into the ground at a near vertical angle. No discrepancies were found with either the airframe or engine that would have precluded 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 136 hours in all; 96 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 42 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,261.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGG Kahului HI at 11:00 pm
- Destination: OGG
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 19 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 am from OGG, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.