Piper PA-31-350 accident near Maunaloa, Hawaii, December 24, 1987
On December 24, 1987 at about 4:53 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N712AN, was destroyed in an accident near Maunaloa, Hawaii. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 8 people were killed. 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
- December 24, 1987 · about 4:53 am local time
- Place
- Maunaloa, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 8 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N712AN · registry record · serial 31-7652151
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS TO BE FLOWN ACROSS A 22 MILE CHANNEL BETWEEN ISLANDS ON AN OVERCAST NIGHT WITH NO MOON AND NO GROUND REFERENCE LIGHTS. THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AND, AFTER EXTENSIVE SEARCHES, COULD NOT BE FOUND. A THREE DIMENSIONAL FLIGHT TRACK WAS RECONSTRUCTED USING RECORDED RADAR DATA. THE DATA INDICATED THAT IN THE LAST 60 SEC THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED FROM 170 TO 95 KTS, GAINED 500 FT IN ALTITUDE, AND TURNED LEFT 190 DEGREES BEFORE ABRUPTLY DISAPPEARING FROM RADAR. FLIGHT TESTS INDICATED THAT THE MOVEMENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT IN THE LAST 60 SEC OF THE FLIGHT WERE CONSISTENT WITH A LOSS OF THE LEFT ENGINE, WITHOUT COMPENSATION BY THE PILOT. THE OPERATOR'S TRAINING PROGRAM DID NOT PROVIDE FOR NIGHT OR INSTRUMENT FLIGHT CONDITIONS. THE LAST DOCUMENTED INSTRUMENT TIME FOR THE PILOT WAS 15 MONTHS PRIOR DURING A CHECKRIDE. THE PILOT FLEW SPORADIC NIGHT FLIGHTS. THE PILOT HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN DURING THE DAY AND WAS ON HIS THIRTEENTH HOUR OF DUTY. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND INJURY INDEX PRESUMED.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,987 hours in all; 617 in this make and model; 260 in the last 90 days; 69 in the last 30 days; 1,246 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,516 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 6, 1987; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Panorama Air Tours
The flight
- Departed from: HNL Honolulu HI at 4:40 am
- Destination: MKK Molokai HI
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; scat at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 am from HNL, 31 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX88FA075.