Cessna 172M accident near Hilo, Hawaii, April 14, 2015
On April 14, 2015 at about 11:45 pm local time, a 1973 Cessna 172M, registered N12842, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Hilo, Hawaii (Hilo Intl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Water contamination in the fuel system due to the flight instructor’s and pilot receiving instruction’s failure to drain all the water from the system during the preflight inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 2015 · about 11:45 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Hilo, Hawaii · Hilo Intl · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M, built 1973 · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N12842 · no longer on the register · serial 17262306
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction reported that, during the preflight inspection before the local instructional flight, they drained water from the fuel tanks. After departure, they flew for about 1 hour and then returned to the airport to practice touch-and-go landings. During the approach for landing, the pilot receiving instruction accomplished a no-flap "slip to landing." After touchdown, he applied power for the takeoff, and the airplane then reached between about 75 and 100 ft above ground level, at which point the engine began to run irregularly, and subsequently, it lost power. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and executed a left turn away from buildings located at the end of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a grassy area northeast of the departure end of the runway. During the postaccident examination of the airplane, water was found in the fuel sump strainer and the carburetor, which likely led to the loss of engine power. It is likely the flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction failed to ensure that all the water was drained from the tank during the preflight inspection.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Fuel contamination during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Last flight review: February 24, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 48 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,251 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 1,563 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ITO Hilo HI at 10:45 pm
- Destination: ITO Hilo HI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03, 5,600 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on October 19, 2017. 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 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N12842: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,680 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J 96 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Hilo International · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Hawaii 523 since 1982 · 85 in the last ten years
- Hawaii 696 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR15LA146.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.