Cessna 172S accident near Hana, Hawaii, December 16, 2005
On December 16, 2005, a Cessna 172S, registered N542SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hana, 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
Collision with mountainous terrain for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 2005
- Place
- Hana, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N542SP · no longer on the register · serial 172S8397
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted steep rising terrain in a near vertical angle at an elevation of 2,300 feet mean sea level. The pilot had been vacationing in the area, and received a check-out in the accident airplane about 3 weeks prior to the accident. The pilot advised flight school personnel that he would be flying to a local airport and returning to the departure airport that evening. A local helicopter pilot spotted the burning wreckage and notified emergency personnel. The helicopter pilot noted that the skies were clear and there was no turbulence. Investigators examined the wreckage following its recovery from the accident site. No mechanical malfunctions were noted with the airframe controls or the engine during the detailed examination. The pilot began flying about 30 years prior to the accident and then stopped. About 3 years prior to the accident, the pilot began flying again.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 541 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 97 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: April 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,255 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 1, 2005; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: OGG Kahului Airport HI at 10:30 pm
- Destination: HNM Hana HI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,700 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 am from OGG, 24 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.