Three Sustained Serious Injuries During Emergency Landing On A Highway

The NTSB has released its factual report from an accident which occurred on June 30, 2017 in Honolulu, HI that seriously injured three people onboard the Cherokee 140.

The airplane collided with the ground under a highway overpass following a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from Daniel K Inouye International Airport (HNL), Honolulu, Hawaii. The private pilot, a commercial pilot rated passenger and a passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was substantially damaged.

According to the report, the pilot told the NTSB that a preflight inspection was accomplished and that a minimum of 20 gallons of fuel was on board. The engine was started, and the airplane was taxied to an open area for a run-up. Shortly after takeoff from runway 4 left, about 300 ft above ground level, the pilot noted that the engine lost power. He subsequently initiated an emergency landing to a riverbed; the airplane came to rest under a highway overpass and caught fire.

The rear seat passenger reported to an FAA Inspector that the right seat pilot took control of the airplane just prior to the collision and he had cut off the mixture (and power) just prior to ground impact.

The owner of the airplane reported that the airplane had been flown every day and no issues with the operation of the airplane were reported. He indicated that the fuel tanks would be filled to the tabs (20 gallons in each tank). The airplane would fly one flight with the fuel selector positioned to one fuel tank, and then on the next flight it would be positioned on the other fuel tank. Prior to the accident flight, the owner had instructed the pilots to switch fuel tanks prior to takeoff since they were used to flying in Cessna airplanes that flew with the fuel selector positioned to BOTH.

The 20-year-old left seat pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating in airplane single-engine land. The pilot held a Federal Aviation Administration third-class medical certificate issued February 3, 2017 with no waivers or limitations. The pilot's total flight experience was about 68 hours. He logged 28 hours in the previous 90 days, and 8 hours in the previous 30 days. A total of 5 hours were logged in the make and model airplane involved in the accident.

The 28-year-old right seat pilot held a commercial certificate with ratings in airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot held a Federal Aviation Administration first-class medical certificate issued October 4, 2015, with no waivers or limitations. The pilot's total flight experience was about 775 hours.

The postaccident engine examination revealed that the engine sustained fire damage primarily to the rear engine compartment. The cockpit controls were destroyed and could not be moved or identified. A visual examination of the engine revealed no evidence of a catastrophic engine failure.

(Image from NTSB accident docket)

FMI: Factual report