Cessna 172M accident near Open Water, Hawaii, December 31, 2016
On December 31, 2016 at about 4:49 am local time, a 1973 Cessna 172M, registered N174LL, was destroyed in an accident near Open Water, Hawaii. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Undetermined because the airplane was not located.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2016 · about 4:49 am local time
- Place
- Open Water, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M M, built 1973 · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N174LL · no longer on the register · serial 17261220
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to a representative from the airplane rental facility, the noninstrument-rated pilot had departed on a cross-country flight. The pilot had received multiple weather reports from Lockheed Martin Flight Services, during which the weather briefer indicated that mountain obscuration and low ceilings existed along the flight route. Flightpath data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that, shortly after departure, the airplane flew to the northwest, directly into the area that was showing adverse weather conditions. Sometime later, radar data showed that the airplane began a descending right turn from about 2,525 ft mean sea level. The track ended less than 1 minute later over open water about 7 miles northwest of the departure airport. An alert notice was issued after an FAA air traffic control facility lost radar contact with the airplane. A search and rescue effort was initiated; however, the airplane and occupants were not found.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › (general) › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 73 hours in all
- Last flight review: October 30, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,131.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 28, 2016; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: MKK Kaunakakai HI at 4:43 am
- Destination: HNL Honolulu HI
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 030° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,600 ft; scat at 900 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 am from HMK, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 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 | Weather Study Report | PDF, 32 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather - Attachment 1 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather - Attachment 2 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather - Attachment 3 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Weather - Attachment 4 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Weather - Attachment 5 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Weather - Attachment 6 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Weather - Attachment 7 | PDF, 75 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Federal Aviation Administration radar Flight Track | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Statement of Aircraft Rental Representatives | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.