Airborne Windsports PTY LTD XT-912-L accident near Lihue, Hawaii, August 2, 2009
On August 2, 2009, a Airborne Windsports PTY LTD XT-912-L (weight-shift aircraft), registered N44VZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Lihue, Hawaii. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the airplane following an in-flight encounter with turbulence during descent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2009
- Place
- Lihue, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Airborne Windsports PTY LTD XT-912-L
- Registration
- N44VZ · registry record · serial XT-912-0230
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the light sport weight-shift-control airplane said that they were descending through a "hole in the clouds" when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence, resulting in the flight instructor losing control of the aircraft. The flight instructor subsequently deployed the aircraft's onboard rocket-propelled parachute system before impacting mountainous terrain and coming to rest on a hillside, entangled in surrounding trees. The flight instructor reported no anomalies with the airplane prior to or during the flight.
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
- Turbulence encounter during enroute (descent)
- Loss of control in flight during enroute (descent) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Convective turbulence › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: instructor: sport pilot
- Flight time: 278 hours in all; 275 in this make and model; 145 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 1 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,053 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 26, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 992 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAK Port Allen Airp HI
- Destination: PAK Port Allen Airp HI
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 017° at 17 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; scat
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.