Pilot error blamed in Moloka'i crash

Advertiser Staff

Pilot error, possibly because of fatigue, was the cause of the May 10, 2000, crash of a corporate jet on Moloka'i, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report released yesterday.

All six died on board the Rockwell Sabreliner owned by Price Aircraft Company LLC, of Broomfield, Colo., which crashed three miles southwest of Moloka'i Airport, hitting mountainous terrain about 100 feet from the crest of a 1,400-foot ridge.

The report said the flight crew made several mistakes during its approach to Moloka'i, including selecting the wrong frequency for activating pilot-controlled runway lighting, concluding that the airport was obscured by clouds despite weather information to the contrary, misstating instrument approach headings and descent altitudes, and descending below appropriate altitudes.

The performance of the pilot and co-pilot was consistent with fatigue-related impairment, the report said, although to what extent is uncertain. The crew had been in transit from Tahiti for seven hours, with stops at Christmas Island and Maui. The day before, the crew crossed seven time zones over 14 hours in a flight from Argentina.

Among the victims were Colorado resident Macy Price Sr., owner of the aircraft company. Price also owned a beachfront home at Papohaku Beach on Moloka'i's west end.