Beech C-45G accident near Waimanalo, Hawaii, October 4, 1982
On October 4, 1982 at about 1:10 am local time, a Beech C-45G, registered N215H, was destroyed in an accident near Waimanalo, Hawaii. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. 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
- October 4, 1982 · about 1:10 am local time
- Place
- Waimanalo, Hawaii
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C-45G · all C-45Gs on the register
- Registration
- N215H · no longer on the register · serial AF-405
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO BE A REINDOCTRINATION/TRAINING FLT FOR THE SECOND-IN-COMMAND. WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT OFF SHORE FLYING PARALLEL TO THE CLIFFS APPROXIMATELY 500 FT OVER THE WATER. THE ACFT BANKED LEFT THEN RIGHT TO A 90 DEG RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE WING-OVER TYPE MANEUVER & DESCEND INTO THE OCEAN. THE ACFT WAS NOT RECOVERED.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,904 hours in all; 2,529 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 6,688 as pilot in command; 879 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,860 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,800 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-985-AN-14B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Panorama Air Tour
The flight
- Departed from: HNL Honolulu HI at 2:50 pm
- Destination: HNL Honolulu HI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 189°F (87°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from HNL, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.