Missing Big Island tour plane found
Conservation work crew gave tip needed to solve 5-day mystery
By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Big Island Bureau
HILO, Hawai’i - A conservation crew camping and working in an isolated area of Ka’u last week gave the Big Island Fire Department the tip it needed to solve the five-day mystery of a missing tour plane, and helped guide a helicopter rescue crew to the wreckage and three bodies early yesterday morning in a thick hapu’u forest on the southeastern slope of Mauna Loa volcano.
The work crew members were unaware a plane was missing when they boarded their helicopter flight off the volcano Friday morning after a weeklong camp, but reported they heard a plane traveling through the area Tuesday, and noticed its engine abruptly went silent.
Complete article can be found here.
Edited to add the FAA’s preliminary data on the accident:
** Report created 6/23/2008 Record 1 **
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 13713 Make/Model: C172 Description: 172, P172, R172, Skyhawk, Hawk XP, Cutla
Date: 06/17/2008 Time: 0000
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown
LOCATION
City: KONA State: HI Country: US
DESCRIPTION
N13713, AN ISLAND HOPPERS AIR TAXI CESSNA 172M AIRCRAFT, IS THE SUBJECT OF
AN ALERT NOTICE ISSUED AND SEARCH INITIATED 6/17, NOW PRESUMED AN ACCIDENT
AS AIRCRAFT FAILED TO RETURN FOR A LOCAL SIGHTSEEING TOUR, THE THREE
PERSONS ON BOARD ARE PRESUMED TO BE FATALLY INJURED, UPDATE: WRECKAGE
LOCATED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN NEAR PAHALANEAR KONA, HAWAII
INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 3
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 2 Fat: 2 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
WEATHER: ITO 2153Z 110013KT 10SM CLR 28/19 A3007
OTHER DATA
Activity: Business Phase: Unknown Operation: OTHER
FAA FSDO: HONOLULU, HI (WP13) Entry date: 06/20/2008 #