HONOLULU — Pilot error is blamed for a small plane accident at a private Molokai airstrip.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports the National Transportation Safety Board released a factual report in the Feb. 27 accident.
The report says pilot, 79-year-old John Weiser Jr., continued his second approach even though he was misaligned with the airstrip and the runway lights had gone out, forcing him to twice activate them. The right wing of the plane, a Partenavia P68 Observer, hit a line of trees, causing the engine to stall and drop 10 feet.
Weiser wasn’t injured. He co-owns Affordable Casket Outlet LLC, the registered owner of the plane.
Weiser told investigators he had made thousands of landings at the strip, and his confidence masked the consequences of continuing a bad approach.