Cessna 172XP accident near Hilo, Hawaii, May 21, 1982
On May 21, 1982 at about 10:35 pm local time, a Cessna 172XP, registered N7320K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hilo, Hawaii. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1982 · about 10:35 pm local time
- Place
- Hilo, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172XP · all 172XPs on the register
- Registration
- N7320K · no longer on the register · serial R1722056
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE REQUESTED 30 GALLONS OF FUEL FOR AN ESTIMATED FLIGHT TIME OF 3.5 HOURS. DURING THE FLIGHT THE ENGINE RAN ROUGH AND THE RIGHT TANK WENT TO EMPTY. THE PILOT THEN SWITCHED TANKS AND ABOUT 2 MINUTES LATER THE PILOT STATED THAT THE LEFT TANK MUST HAVE GONE DRY AS THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND DIED. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE INTO A SUGAR CANE FIELD WHERE THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER.
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: 64 hours in all; 24 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-K (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Merchant Air
The flight
- Departed from: Hilo HI at 10:33 am
- Destination: Hilo HI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N7320K 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.