Cessna 208B accident near Molokai, Hawaii, October 15, 2009
On October 15, 2009 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Cessna 208B, registered N861MA, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) shutdown) near Molokai, Hawaii (Molokai Airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the ramp agent to use a tail stand.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2009 · about 5:45 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Molokai, Hawaii · Molokai Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208B · all 208Bs on the register
- Registration
- N861MA · registry record · serial 208B0825
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The director of operations reported that after the passengers were boarded, the flight crew noted a discrepancy in the load manifest and the pilot-in-command (PIC) exited the airplane. The PIC reported that the ramp agent was instructed to put the tail stand in place; however, the agent ignored the instructions and entered the airplane via the aft door with the passengers still on board. The airplane subsequently tilted downward and sustained a tail strike, which resulted in structural damage to a fuselage bulkhead.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during standing (engine(s) shutdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Parking/securing › Tie › down/mooring › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Ground crew
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,275 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 545 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,008 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, October 12, 2009; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,785 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A SER (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mokulele Air Group INC
The flight
- Departed from: PHMK Molokai Airport HI
- Destination: PHMK Molokai Airport HI
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:00 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on January 26, 2010. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Crew Statements | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Form 337 861MA | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Image 1. Bulkhead Damage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Image 2. Bulkhead Damage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Image 3. Bulkhead Damage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N861MA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N861MA on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 208 Caravan 1,017 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W PT6A SER 2,218 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Molokai Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Hawaii 524 since 1982 · 86 in the last ten years
- Hawaii 696 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N861MA 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR10LA022.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.