Cessna 172M accident near Laie, Hawaii, December 17, 1992
On December 17, 1992 at about 5:31 am local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N1169U, was destroyed in an accident near Laie, Hawaii. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT FLIGHT INTO A MOUNTAINOUS AREA WHERE HE LOST VISUAL REFERENCE TO ILLUMINATED GROUND FEATURES WHICH RESULTED IN HIS BECOMING DISORIENTED. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE DARK SKY AND LOW CLOUD CONDITIONS; 2) THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A COMPLETE WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO TAKE OFF; 3) HIS IMPROPER WEATHER EVALUATION; 4) HIS INEXPERIENCE FLYING AT NIGHT; AND 5) THE USAF'S CLEARING AUTHORITY PERSONNEL'S FAILURE TO ADHERE TO ESTABLISHED WRITTEN PROCEDURES WHICH BARRED INEXPERIENCED PILOTS FROM BEING DISPATCHED WITH THE INTENT OF PERFORMING NIGHTTIME CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHTS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 1992 · about 5:31 am local time
- Place
- Laie, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N1169U · no longer on the register · serial 17266873
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A DARK NIGHTTIME FLIGHT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO FLY THE USAF AERO CLUB'S AIRPLANE AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE ISLAND. AFTER COMPLETING ABOUT ONE HALF OF THE TRIP, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE 50 DEGREE UP SLOPE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN, ABOUT 3.5 NM WEST OF COURSE. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE PILOT'S FIRST EXPEREINCE FLYING AT NIGHT AS THE PILOT IN COMMAND. THE PILOT HAD 3.0 TOTAL HOURS OF NIGHT FLYING EXPERIENCE, AND HAD OBTAINED HIS PILOT'S CERTIFICATE 5 DAYS EARLIER. DURING THE PILOT'S PREFLIGHT PREPARATIONS, HE DID NOT REQUEST A COMPLETE WEATHER BRIEFING WHICH WOULD HAVE INDICATED THE LIKELIHOOD OF ENCOUNTERING RAIN SHOWERS WHILE FLYING OVER WINDWARD OAHU. THE USAF HAD A PROCEDURE WHICH, IF FOLLOWED, WOULD HAVE BARRED THE PILOT FROM PERFORMING THE FLIGHT. THE USAF CLEARING AUTHORITY PERSONNEL FAILED TO ADHERE TO ESTABLISHED WRITTEN DISPATCH PROCEDURES.
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: 75 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 29 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,337 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 10, 1992; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hickam Wheeler Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: HNL Honolulu HI at 4:56 am
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.