An amateur-built aircraft incident near Kahului, Hawaii, November 3, 2011
On November 3, 2011 at about 9:31 pm local time, a an amateur-built aircraft was involved in an incident during approach (IFR final approach) near Kahului, Hawaii (Kahului Airport). It was flown under rules the NTSB did not record. The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the Honolulu Control Facility controller to issue control instructions necessary to establish and maintain required separation between all three aircraft. Contributing to the losses of separation was inadequate training provided to controllers about the use of the approach to runway 2 at Kahului.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 2011 · about 9:31 pm local time
- Place
- Kahului, Hawaii · Kahului Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- An amateur-built aircraft
- Registration
- not recorded
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · rules the NTSB did not record
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Three aircraft were approaching Kahului Airport to land on runway 2 and were receiving air traffic control sequencing and separation services from the Honolulu Control Facility (HCF). Aircraft 1 was conducting an instrument approach from the northeast and conflicted with aircraft 2, which was conducting a visual approach from the southwest. The controller attempted to correct the situation by vectoring aircraft 1, even though it was below the minimum vectoring altitude for the area. Aircraft 2 continued the approach and landed. The controller re-sequenced aircraft 1 for another instrument approach in front of aircraft 3, which was arriving from the northeast. Aircraft 3 was faster than aircraft 1 and overtook aircraft 1 while both aircraft were on final approach to the runway. The controller did not intervene in time to ensure separation. Review of HCF training materials and procedures showed that the simulator problems given to controllers to familiarize them with the new approach at that airport were not realistic and did not properly prepare controllers to manage the approach procedure.
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
What happened, in order
- Near midair/TCAS alert/loss of separation during approach (IFR final approach) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › ATC personnel
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › (general) › ATC
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › ATC personnel
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Destination: PHOG Kahului HI
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 02, 6,995 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 12 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from PHOG
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.