Beech C-45G and Beech E18S accident near Kahalui, Hawaii, July 23, 1983
On July 23, 1983 at about 11:08 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Beech C-45G (N888M) and Beech E18S (N162SP), were involved in the same accident near Kahalui, Hawaii (Kahului airport). 1 person had minor injuries; 19 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1983 · about 11:08 pm local time
- Place
- Kahalui, Hawaii · Kahului · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 19 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Beech C-45G · all C-45Gs on the register
- Registration
- N888M · registry record · serial AF-181
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
- Aircraft 2
- Beech E18S · all E18Ss on the register
- Registration
- N162SP · registry record · serial BA-276
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative for the Beech C-45G final · quoted from the NTSB record
A BEECH C-45G, N888M, CALL SIGN LANI 8 AND A BEECH E18S, N162SP, CALL SIGN LANI 9 WERE PART OF A FLT OF 5 ACFT, WITH CALL SIGNS OF LANI 6 THRU 10, THAT WERE BEING USED ON AN INTER-ISLAND TOUR. THE 1ST ACFT, LANI 6, WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF & DEPARTED IMMEDIATELY. LANI 7, 8 & 9 CONTACTED THE TOWER FOR TAXI CLEARANCE, RESPECTIVELY. IN TURN, LANI 7 WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF & LANI 8 & 9 WERE CLEARED ON THE RWY TO HOLD, BUT LANI 9 DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE. AS LANI 7 TOOK OFF, LANI 9 STOPPED SHORT OF THE RWY & TOLD TOWER HE WAS READY FOR TAKEOFF. THE PLT OF LANI 9 SAID THAT HE REVIEWED HIS TAKEOFF CHECKLIST & HEARD THE TOWER CLEAR LANI 8 FOR TAKEOFF, & AT THE SAME TIME CLEAR HIM (LANI 9) ON THE RWY TO HOLD. HE THOUGHT HE SAW LANI 8 TAKING OFF, WHEN LANI 8 ACTUALLY WAS STILL HOLDING. SUBSEQUENTLY, LANI 9 COLLIDED WITH LANI 8 A & BOTH ACFT WERE DAMAGED.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Beech E18S final · quoted from the NTSB record
A BEECH C-45G, N888M, CALL SIGN LANI 8 AND A BEECH E185, N162SP, CALL SIGN LANI 9 WERE PART OF A FLT OF 5 ACFT, WITH CALL SIGNS OF LANI 6 THRU 10, THAT WHERE BEING USED ON AN INTER-ISLAND TOUR. THE 1ST ACT, LANI 6, WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF & DEPARTED IMMEDIATELY. LANI 7, 8 & 9 CONTACTED THE TOWER FOR TAXI CLEARENCE, RESPECTIVELY. IN TURN, LANI 7 WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF & LANI 8 & 9 WERE CLEARED ON THE RWY TO HOLD, BUT LANI 9 DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE. AS LANI 7 TOOK OFF, LANI 9 STOPPED SHORT OF THE RWY & TOLD TOWER HE WAS READY FOR TAKEOFF. THE PLT OF LANI 9 SAID THAT HE REVIEWED HIS TAKEOFF CHECKLIST & HEARD THE TOWER CLEAR LANI 8 FOR TAKEOFF, & AT THE SAME TIME, CLEAR HIM (LANI 9 ) ON THE RWY HOLD. HE THOUGHT HE SAW LANI 8 TAKING OFF, WHEN LANI 8 ACTUALLY WAS HOLDING. SUBSEQUENTLY, LANI 9 COLLIDED WITH LANI 8 & BOTH ACFT WERE DAMAGED.
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 for the Beech C-45G from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,443 hours in all; 189 in this make and model; 167 in the last 90 days; 92 in the last 30 days; 4,043 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,912 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 7, 1983; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,900 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-985-AN-14B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGG Kahalui HI
- Destination: LIH Lihue HI
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 2, 6,996 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 20 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from OGG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 8 |
The factual record for the Beech E18S from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,358 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 142 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 1,998 as pilot in command; 342 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,510 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 7, 1983; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,700 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-985-AN-14B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGG Kahalui HI
- Destination: LIH Lihue HI
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 2, 6,996 ft by 150 ft
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 9 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX83FA349.