Vacationing Man Had Rented Aircraft

An unidentified man was killed last week in Hawaii when the Cessna 172 he had rented while reportedly visiting the islands from Utah went down on the tropical mountainside of a dormant volcano.

Media reports out of Hawaii said the man, a 56-year-old commercially-rated pilot from Salt Lake City, had rented the Skyhawk (file photo of type, below) from Maui Aviators of Kahului for a pleasure flight. The plane went down Thursday afternoon near the resort community of Hana.

Conditions at Kahulai Airport, the nearest reporting point, were VFR at the time of the incident, according to the FAA Preliminary Report.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, firefighters were called at approximately 3:55 pm Thursday when smoke was seen coming from the remote mountain. Alan Pascua, Battalion Chief of the Maui County Fire Department, said a rescue helicopter investigated and spotted the crashed plane still smoldering on a steep grade in thick vegetation, loose rocks and mud.

A SAR team rappelled into the area of the wreckage Friday, digging into the three cubic feet of dirt that covered the cockpit of the downed aircraft to get to the pilot.

NTSB investigators are expected onscene Monday, according to the Tribune.

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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 542SP        Make/Model: C172      Description: 172, P172, R172, Skyhawk, Hawk XP, Cutla
  Date: 12/16/2005     Time: 0152

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: KAHULUI                     State: HI   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKOWN CIRCUMSTANCES 15 MILES NE OF KAHULULI, HI

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   1
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: OGG `60`54 33007KT 10SM FEW047 27/17 A3003 RMK A02 SLP175 T02720167

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Cruise      Operation: General Aviation

  Departed:                             Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: HONOLULU, HI  (WP13)                  Entry date: 12/16/2005

FMI: www.ntsb.gov