Cessna 310K accident near Kula, Hawaii, October 18, 2004
On October 18, 2004 at about 7:24 am local time, a Cessna 310K, registered N7049L, was destroyed in an accident near Kula, Hawaii. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to maintain adequate clearance from mountainous terrain during cruise flight. A factor in the accident was the dark night lighting conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2004 · about 7:24 am local time
- Place
- Kula, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310K · all 310Ks on the register
- Registration
- N7049L · no longer on the register · serial 310K0149
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About seven minutes after takeoff, the airplane impacted a volcanic mountain at the 3,750-foot level. Recorded radar data showed that after departure, the airplane made a turn towards the accident site, and made a steady climb to 3,600 feet on a heading of about 143 degrees. Radar data showed that the flight track was steady and level, and the last 2 minutes of flight were at 3,600 feet. Radio communications between the pilot and tower controllers were normal, and the pilot made no distress calls prior to the accident. The weather was clear beneath a high overcast, with a dark night, and no moon. Examination of the airframe revealed no discrepancies with the flight controls. Both engines were examined, with no mechanical anomalies noted that would have precluded normal operations, and abundant evidence of symmetrical power being developed at impact.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 10,341 hours in all; 246 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,875.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne Continental IO-470-VO (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne Continental IO-470-V(2) (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: OGG Kahului HI at 7:18 am
- Destination: KOA Kailua-Kona HI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 040° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 am from OGG, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.