Skydive Kauai Plane Crash

[tompalm]

I would really like to see your facts to back up these assertions. My experience with jump pilots and their equipment has been the TOTAL opposite.

Did you even read my post?.. It is about small aircraft and accidents reported all over the world, not just jump pilots. Your experience is probably limited to one area and I am glad the planes or pilots where you have jumped met your standards. My information and experience is from attending every Navy and ALPA Safety course including the Navy's Post Graduate Program at Montery CA for Avaition Safety and spending more than 30 years doing accident investigations, and writing reports. Part of the job included studying accident reports and lessons learned to prevent accidents in the future. Additionally, I read every report I can get my hands on that involved accidents in General Aviation as well as commercial flights. Lots of small planes crash for a reasons that involve pilot error or maintenance malpractice. Small companies have lots of safety hazards that are never identified or reported. All looks good until something goes wrong.

 

[Kapolei]

Did you even read my post?.. It is about small aircraft and accidents reported all over the world, not just jump pilots. Your experience is probably limited to one area and I am glad the planes or pilots where you have jumped met your standards. My information and experience is from attending every Navy and ALPA Safety course including the Navy's Post Graduate Program at Montery CA for Avaition Safety and spending more than 30 years doing accident investigations, and writing reports. Part of the job included studying accident reports and lessons learned to prevent accidents in the future. Additionally, I read every report I can get my hands on that involved accidents in General Aviation as well as commercial flights. Lots of small planes crash for a reasons that involve pilot error or maintenance malpractice. Small companies have lots of safety hazards that are never identified or reported. All looks good until something goes wrong.

Thanks for your contribution here. While I am not an expert like you are, I too read the NTSB reports. I have lived in Hawaii for some time. During that time there have been many tourist involved incidents involving skydiving, glider flights, helicopter tours, and in my opinion, the most dangerous of all, trikes or motorized hang gliders.

I don't think the general public could really have a fair assessment of risks in these activities unless they do a lot of homework. Which goes back to my point, that people often get drawn in to these activities without really having a good assessment of the dangers. My advice to these folks is that if there is any doubt, stay on the ground.

 

[bjones9942]

My last post on this topic, and apologies to the turn from the tragedy originally discussed.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics you have a better chance of dying at a dance party than from skydiving. In fact, many activities are much more dangerous.


http://www.besthealthdegrees.com/health-risks/

 

[tompalm]

My last post on this topic, and apologies to the turn from the tragedy originally discussed.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics you have a better chance of dying at a dance party than from skydiving. In fact, many activities are much more dangerous.


http://www.besthealthdegrees.com/health-risks/

Nobody died from skydiving or jumping out of a plane. It was the plane crash that killed everyone.

 

[tompalm]

It appears the aircraft had an engine fire / failure and the pilot was turning back to the field when the plane went down. The cause was from the aircraft being old and having an engine failure, and possibly poor maintenance. Perhaps if the airplane had been lighter, the pilot might have been able to handle the situation better. Like it was said in an earlier post, dead engine with empty aircraft does not equal dead engine with full aircraft. My condolences to the families of the skydivers and pilot.

It will be interesting to see if the NTSB says that five passengers caused the aircraft to be overloaded and if it was a contributing factor in the accident. In any event, it is a lot more difficult to handle an aircraft that is fully loaded than an aircraft that has less weight in it.


Top News
NTSB releases preliminary report on fatal Kauai plane crash
By Rosemarie Bernardo
June 1, 2016
Updated June 1, 2016 10:03am
STAR-ADVERTISER
Investigators inspected the wreckage from a sky-diving plane crash, on May 23, near the Port Allen Airport on Kauai.
STAR-ADVERTISER

Investigators inspected the wreckage from a sky-diving plane crash, on May 23, near the Port Allen Airport on Kauai.

The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report today on the fatal skydiving tour plane crash where five men died in Hanapepe.

Pilot Damien Horan, 30, originally from Ireland; brothers Marshall Cabe, 25, and Phillip Cabe, 27, of Lawton, Okla. who were the tandem jumpers; and instructors Enzo Amitrano, 43, of Koloa; and Wayne Rose, 26, of Hanapepe, died in the crash on the morning of May 23.

According to the report, a Cessna 182H was destroyed when it struck the ground shortly after takeoff from Port Allen Airport at about 9:22 a.m. The airplane was registered to and operated by D & J Air Adventures, Inc.

The aircraft took off about 9:21 a.m.

“Multiple witnesses reported that shortly after takeoff, about 150 feet above ground level, the airplane made a sudden right turn, descended, and impacted terrain,” the report said. The plane caught fire after it crashed.

Cisco Campos, 68, of Hanapepe told the Star-Advertiser he was fishing near the runway at Port Allen when he heard the engine sputter after the aircraft took off. At the end of the runway, he said, it appeared the plane attempted to turn around to head back toward the airport when the engine caught fire and the plane went straight down.

The wreckage was transported to a secured facility at the Lihue Airport for the ongoing investigation.

The final report on the fiery crash is expected to be released in 12 to 16 months.

 

[Kapolei]

Every accident is different. But accidents involving skydiving are not by any means new. Here is one incident from a 2009 special investigative report on safety of parachute jump operations.

Bryan, Texas (FTW99FA261)
On September 18, 1999, a Cessna 182A, N4803D, operated by Ags Over Texas, crashed following a loss of engine power during takeoff from Coulter Field Airport near Bryan, Texas. The commercial pilot and the four parachutists were killed. Witnesses reported that, after takeoff, the airplane was climbing through about 300 to 400 feet agl when smoke became visible coming from the engine compartment. One witness reported that the airplane turned toward the runway and that the witness “thought it was going back to Coulter Field Airport. A few seconds later I saw it go straight down.” Another witness stated that “the aircraft appeared to stall. The right wing dropped quickly, and the aircraft spun in, nose down, spin[ning] to the right, making one complete revolution before impacting the ground.”
Examination of the engine revealed that the No. 6 cylinder head was separated where the cylinder attaches to the barrel. Metallurgical examination revealed that the cylinder head separated from its cylinder barrel as a result of fatigue cracking originating in the cylinder head thread. The cylinder displayed three work-order numbers on the
flange skirt, indicative of the cylinder having had many hours of time in service and having been worked on at least three times. At the time of the accident, the engine had accumulated about 354 hours since overhaul. During that overhaul, six Nu-chromed overhauled cylinders were installed. It could not be determined how many hours the
cylinders had accumulated nor how many times they had been overhauled. There is no requirement to track cylinder hours or overhaul occurrences.
The Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control, resulting in an inadvertent stall. A factor was the loss of engine power as a result of fatigue cracking and separation of the No. 6 cylinder head.
---------------------------------------------------

 

[tompalm]

Every accident is different. But accidents involving skydiving are not by any means new. Here is one incident from a 2009 special investigative report on safety of parachute jump operations.

Bryan, Texas (FTW99FA261)
The Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control, resulting in an inadvertent stall. A factor was the loss of engine power as a result of fatigue cracking and separation of the No. 6 cylinder head.
---------------------------------------------------

It seems like anytime people die, pilot error is to blame. In most cases, pilots that had a lot of training and practiced engine failures are able to keep the aircraft flying. But pilot error is listed even when the circumstances are unreasonable like the cockpit is filled with fire and smoke and the pilot was unable to maintain control, the investigators do not cut the pilot any slack and still list the cause as pilot error. The accidents below happened during the last few years in Hawaii where the pilot kept the aircraft under control and everyone lived (exception one lady died of a heart attack after the plane was in the water). In those cases, engine failure was the cause of the problem.

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...makes-emergency-landing-after-engine-problems

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...makes-emergency-landing-after-engine-problems

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QguEfBMhpyc

In this most recent accident with the jump plane on Kauai, the board will find pilot error as the cause. Pictures on the local news showed that the plane did not have very much forward speed when it impacted the ground, meaning that the aircraft stalled and dropped to the ground. The skydivers or passengers only chance was to recognize an old, over loaded aircraft before it took off and not go up. Perhaps this jump plane has done this many times before and all would have been fine had the engine not failed. But, this should not have happened with a company that carries so many people onboard at one time. I hope the FAA starts cracking down on companies and checking their maintenance records and weight and balance loads.

 

[Kapolei]

Recent update on the Caravan crash off Molokai.

"Autopsy results had determined that [Hawaii Department of Health Director] Fuddy died from acute cardiac arrhythmia, or an irregular heartbeat, due to hyperventilation." KHON

The updated report says she was wearing an infant life vest only partially inflated. --- KHON 5/4/16
----------------------------------------------------

 

[Kapolei]

Unless there are new updates, I am going to step out of the conversation here. Again, I am very sorry for the loss of life and my condolences to the families and friends.

--------------

 

[JIMinNC]

The plane was vintage 1965 so maintenance issues could be the cause. http://thegardenisland.com/news/loc...cle_a578332a-d614-56c8-8ce5-67f2ab605033.html

Condolences to all the family members. The two tourists were brothers.

Older airplanes are not like older cars. There are very few 1965 cars still on the road, but there are plenty of 1965 airplanes still flying. Engines must be replaced or overhauled about every 2000 flying hours, so a 1965 airplane could easily have a brand new engine. If an airplane is well maintained, a 1965 (or older) airplane can be just as safe as a newer plane. I am in a partnership/club that owns a 1977 aircraft - but the engine is fairly low time, it has updated modern radios and avionics, and brand new paint and interior was installed just a couple of years ago. While the basic airframe is 39 years old, many components are much newer.

 

[daventrina]

1. Lots of aircraft are old and poorly maintained.

While old ... few accidents are caused by poor maintenance.

The top 3 ways to reduce your chance of not dying in an airplane:

1) Don't run out of gas!

2) Don't run into a mountain!

3) Don't mess around at low altitude!

These account for 90% of the fatal GA accidents.

 

[daventrina]

Accident Details

So sad when this happens. Our condolences go out to the families.
Details from the NTSB report below. Interestingly, there is no report in the FAA database.

Accident Details
Event Date 2016-05-23 Event Id 20160523X75309
Registration Number N2007X Aircraft Make CESSNA
Aircraft Model 182 Aircraft Serial Number 18256107
Damage DEST Phase Of Flight
Accident Occurrences Killed 5
Seriously Injured 0 Minor Injured 0
Airframe Hours Airframe Hours Since Last Inspection
Date Last Inspection 2016-03-22 Event Site City HANAPEPE
Event Site State HI Event Site Zipcode 96716
Event Site Country USA Flight Number
Owner Name D & J AIR ADVENTURES INC Owner Street PO BOX 1875
Owner City KOLOA Owner State HI
Owner Zip 967561875 Owner Country USA
Operator Name D & J AIR ADVENTURES INC Operator Dba
Operator Street PO BOX 1875 Operator City KOLOA
Operator State HI Operator Zip 967561875
Operator Country USA Operator Code
Narratives PRELIMINARY NARRATIVE:

On May 23, 2016 about 0922 Hawaiian standard time, a Cessna 182H, N2007X, was destroyed when it impacted terrain shortly after departure from Port Allen (PAK), Hanapepe, Hawaii. The pilot and four passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, D & J Air Adventures, Inc., as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 flight as a part of the skydiving flight operation. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan filed. The local flight originated from PAK at about 0921.

Multiple witnesses reported that shortly after takeoff, about 150 feet above ground level, the airplane made a sudden right turn, descended, and impacted terrain. A post crash fire ensued.

After the on-site documentation, the wreckage was recovered to a secured facility for further examination.​

Description indicates a departure Stall-Spin.
So sadly , yes it appears to be pilot error. Possibly with engine failure and/or improper weight and balance as a contributing factor.

Engine failure on departure ... from 150 feet you will not make a turn back to the airport in that aircraft.

http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2016/05/cessna-182h-skydive-hawaii-fatal.html

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -

Three former Skydive Kauai pilots said they were concerned about the airworthiness of the plane that crashed Monday just after takeoff, killing all five people on board.

"I didn't feel comfortable flying that plane myself," said one pilot.

Two of the pilots said they quit rather than go up in the 51-year-old plane again. The third said he left Skydive Kauai in 2012 when he asked to see the plane's maintenance logs and was fired.

Hawaii News Now granted the three pilots anonymity.

The pilot who said he was fired said that he had experienced a minor maintenance issue with the airplane and lost oil pressure in the engine.

"Luckily, I was on the ground," he said.

The pilot said Skydive Kauai's owner subsequently refused to show him the maintenance log books for the aircraft. "It kind of made me wonder something was going on with the airplane," he said.​

Wasn't the first accident for the plane:

NTSB Identification: MKC71FCG04
14 CFR Part 91 General Aviation
Aircraft: CESSNA 182, registration: N2007X
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FILE DATE LOCATION AIRCRAFT DATA INJURIES FLIGHT PILOT DATA
F S M/N PURPOSE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3-3026 70/7/14 KANSAS CITY,KANS CESSNA 182 CR- 0 0 1 NONCOMMERCIAL PRIVATE, AGE 42, 158
TIME - 1725 N2007X PX- 0 0 3 PLEASURE/PERSONAL TRANSP TOTAL HOURS, 5 IN TYPE,
DAMAGE-SUBSTANTIAL OT- 0 0 0 NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.
NAME OF AIRPORT - FAIRFAX
DEPARTURE POINT INTENDED DESTINATION
KANSAS CITY,KANS LOCAL
TYPE OF ACCIDENT PHASE OF OPERATION
HARD LANDING LANDING: LEVEL OFF/TOUCHDOWN
GEAR COLLAPSED LANDING: LEVEL OFF/TOUCHDOWN
PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
PILOT IN COMMAND - IMPROPER LEVEL OFF
PILOT IN COMMAND - IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM BOUNCED LANDING
FACTOR(S)
POWERPLANT - POWERPLANT-INSTRUMENTS: POWER INDICATORS
MISCELLANEOUS ACTS,CONDITIONS - DISCONNECTED
PILOT IN COMMAND - LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH AIRCRAFT
MISCELLANEOUS ACTS,CONDITIONS - OVERLOAD FAILURE
EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES - PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON AIRPORT
SUSPECTED MECHANICAL DISCREPANCY
REMARKS- MANIFOLD PRESSURE INOP. LINE BROKE AT ENG. PLT BELIEVED ENG MALFUNCTION. PORPOISED ON LDG.

 

[tompalm]

Thanks for posting this. It is sad to see the same story over and over. Possibly the weight and balance was off because the aircraft was older and caused an aft center of gravity. A stall could have caused the wing to drop and maybe he wasn't turning back. If they had better equipment and less weight, the outcome might have been better. My condolences to the families.

 

[trish_robertson1]

My nephews were the tandem jumpers in this accodent. I, along with many others, have tried to get the message out concerning the apparent shady practices by this business owner. I have heard one too many things concerning this operation and am trying to warn others. We have posted reviews on yelp that have been deleted, TripAdvisor (they never got published) and google. I appreciate all the information you all have posted. And I thank you for your condolences as this has been a tough time for my family and I do not wish for another family to experience a loss like ours.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[trish_robertson1]

It seems like anytime people die, pilot error is to blame. In most cases, pilots that had a lot of training and practiced engine failures are able to keep the aircraft flying. But pilot error is listed even when the circumstances are unreasonable like the cockpit is filled with fire and smoke and the pilot was unable to maintain control, the investigators do not cut the pilot any slack and still list the cause as pilot error. The accidents below happened during the last few years in Hawaii where the pilot kept the aircraft under control and everyone lived (exception one lady died of a heart attack after the plane was in the water). In those cases, engine failure was the cause of the problem.

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...makes-emergency-landing-after-engine-problems

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...makes-emergency-landing-after-engine-problems

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QguEfBMhpyc

In this most recent accident with the jump plane on Kauai, the board will find pilot error as the cause. Pictures on the local news showed that the plane did not have very much forward speed when it impacted the ground, meaning that the aircraft stalled and dropped to the ground. The skydivers or passengers only chance was to recognize an old, over loaded aircraft before it took off and not go up. Perhaps this jump plane has done this many times before and all would have been fine had the engine not failed. But, this should not have happened with a company that carries so many people onboard at one time. I hope the FAA starts cracking down on companies and checking their maintenance records and weight and balance loads.

The pilot never should have been put in that situation. I believe it was the condition of the plane.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[daventrina]

The pilot never should have been put in that situation. I believe it was the condition of the plane.

I would guess that the pilot that was fired when he asked to see the logbooks would agree with you.

You may want to talk to the FSDO (Flight Standards District Office).
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/hnl/contact/
You may find it helpful, frustrating, or both.

Once again, sorry for your loss.

... Possibly the weight and balance was off because the aircraft was older and caused an aft center of gravity. ...

Weight and balance has nothing to do with aircraft age, just simple math.

https://www.faa.gov/regulations_pol....cfm/go/document.information/documentID/22749

... But pilot error is listed even when the circumstances are unreasonable like the cockpit is filled with fire and smoke and the pilot was unable to maintain control, the investigators do not cut the pilot any slack and still list the cause as pilot error.
...

This is in large part because of the Federal regulations:

FAR 91.3(a) states that “The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of that aircraft.”​

It is a responsibility that every pilot takes when acting as Pilot In Command.

 

[tompalm]

I thought that I read the aircraft had a new engine and that new engine might have been lighter causing less weight forward. Also, things get moved inside the aircraft as it gets older, like the seats taken out and replaced by other seats that are lighter or more gear moved aft. Those are small changes, but everything adds up. It is not that the airframe changes, but other factors occur over time.

 

[daventrina]

I thought that I read the aircraft had a new engine and that new engine might have been lighter causing less weight forward. Also, things get moved inside the aircraft as it gets older, like the seats taken out and replaced by other seats that are lighter or more gear moved aft. Those are small changes, but everything adds up. It is not that the airframe changes, but other factors occur over time.

Age has nothing to do with it.

Anytime there are changes made that change the weight in any significant way, a certified mechanic is required to calculate a new weight and balance.
Sometimes it is necessary to reweigh the aircraft and establish a new weight and balance. Other times, like when equipment is changed like a new radio, the new weight and balance is established by subtracting the old weight and arm and adding the new weight and arm from/to the existing weight and balance sheet.

If the aircraft in question had a new engine that was a different weight, a new weight and balance would have been required when the engine change happened.


The Pilot In Commands(PIC) is responsible to operate the aircraft within the weight and forward and aft center of gravity limits of the aircraft. If the aircraft is operated outside of those limits, a special airworthiness certificate is required (except for some special exemptions in Alaska). It is the PIC responsibility to make sure that there is a valid weight and balance onboard the aircraft prior to departure.

 

[Kapolei]

Seating arrangements can really affect your balance. Usually you have one jumper sitting with his back to dashboard. Make sure his reserve and main pin flaps don’t get caught on anything under the dash. Many DZs have put up back boards from the floor to the panel to prevent this from happening. Also make sure that the area around the fuel selector and flap handle stay clear. Early model 182s have a “parking brake” type of manual flap extension handle. Loose leg straps and handles have found their way around or under these handles and have been snagged.

The next jumper can sit on his knees in between the legs of the front jumper or can sit facing aft. It always makes me chuckle when someone insists on sitting on their knees facing forward and then leans forward for the takeoff roll for the “balance problem.” In an accident this person will flop around inside the cabin as they will have a pretty loose strap tying them down. I prefer people to sit facing aft in between the forward jumper’s legs as this provides the best tight restraint in case of a forced landing or crash.

Another jumper sits back to pilot with his legs stretched straight back to the tail, and the last jumper sits with his back to the back bulkhead facing forward (with his legs in between the the other two aft facing jumpers’ legs). Go and measure the actual “arm” from the zero point on your aircraft (typically the firewall) and then compute their “moment.”

http://diverdriver.com/cessna-182-skydiving-aircraft/

 

[tompalm]

As the aircraft gets older and changes are made with a new weight and balance, everything is subject to human error. Minor deviations make a big deal. My worst experience was flying an older Cenena 414 for Hawaii Air Ambulance and taking off out of Molikai at 2 a.m. The aircraft was 200 lbs from max weight and I could have put one more person onboard, but at the last minute that person decided to stay in Molikai. I did the weight and balance three times to make sure everything was good. I made excessive speed during takeoff and a slow rotation. As soon as the aircraft lifted off, it was a balancing act to maintain control. The nose was trying to pitch up and it was the closest I ever came to buying the farm. Had an engine failed during the first 500 foot of climb, I would not have been able to maintain control. Had the extra person gone with us and sat in the back, the outcome might have been different. There is no way the manual was correct for weight and balance or aircraft performance.

What is supposed to happen doesn't always take place due to negligence or willful negligence. The cheaper the operation, the more cutting corners and cutting cost happen. Older aircraft are not the same as a newer aircraft. As far as working performance manuals or weight and balance, I had 20 years experience with P-3 manuals in the Navy and took written test twice a year. The manual and charts I was using for the 414 was off. You have to assume that just happens with older aircraft where changes are made. Operating at max gross weight is so different than flying around with four people onboard. Most people or or small companies never notice a difference because they don't fly the aircraft at max weight or do that very often.