Molokai Airport
Encyclopedia
Molokai Airport is a public airport
located 6 NM northwest of Kaunakakai
, on the island of Molokai
in Maui County
, Hawaii
, United States
. It is the principal airport of the island.
of 454 feet (138 m) above mean sea level on the central plateau
of the island of Molokai. The airport has two asphalt
paved runways that accommodate commuter/air taxi
and general aviation
activities, as well as some military flights: Runway 5/23 is 4,494 by 100 feet (1,370 x 30 m) and Runway 17/35 is 3,118 by 100 feet (950 x 30 m).
The passenger terminal
complex and general aviation facilities are north of the runway intersection
; the passenger terminal complex is near the principal runway and the general aviation facilities are near the crosswind runway. Vehicular access to these two areas is provided by separate access roadways, each connecting with Keonelele Avenue.
For the 12-month period ending April 20, 2010, the airport had 40,716 aircraft operations, an average of 111 per day: 66% air taxi
, 28% general aviation
, 4% military
, and 2% scheduled commercial
. At that time there were 4 aircraft based at this airport, all single-engine
.
On October 28, 1989, Aloha Island Air flight 1712, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, collided with mountainous terrain near Halawa Valley, Molokai, while en route on a scheduled passenger flight from Kahului Airport
to Molokai Airport in Hoolehua.
The NTSB determined the cause of the accident was the airplanes controlled flight into terrain as a result of the decision of the captain to continue the flight under visual flight rules
at night into instrument meteorological conditions, which obscured rising mountainous terrain.
All 20 aboard the aircraft died. Thirteen of the victims were from Molokai, including eight members of the Molokai High School boys and girls volleyball teams and two faculty members. The girls team had just qualified on Maui for the state tournament.
begins at Molokai Airport.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located 6 NM northwest of Kaunakakai
Kaunakakai, Hawaii
Kaunakakai is a census-designated place in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. It is the largest town on the island of Molokai. The population was 2,726 at the 2000 census. It is "twinned" with Embo in Scotland...
, on the island of Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
in Maui County
Maui County, Hawaii
-National protected areas:* Haleakala National Park* Kakahaia National Wildlife Refuge* Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge- Demographics :As of the 2000 Census, there were 128,094 people, 43,507 households, and 29,889 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the principal airport of the island.
Facilities and aircraft
Molokai Airport occupies 288 acres (116.5 ha) at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 454 feet (138 m) above mean sea level on the central plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
of the island of Molokai. The airport has two asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
paved runways that accommodate commuter/air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
and general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
activities, as well as some military flights: Runway 5/23 is 4,494 by 100 feet (1,370 x 30 m) and Runway 17/35 is 3,118 by 100 feet (950 x 30 m).
The passenger terminal
Passenger terminal
Passenger terminal may refer to:*A train station terminus at the end of a railway line*Airport terminal, a building at an airport where passengers board and disembark from aircraft...
complex and general aviation facilities are north of the runway intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
; the passenger terminal complex is near the principal runway and the general aviation facilities are near the crosswind runway. Vehicular access to these two areas is provided by separate access roadways, each connecting with Keonelele Avenue.
For the 12-month period ending April 20, 2010, the airport had 40,716 aircraft operations, an average of 111 per day: 66% air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
, 28% general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
, 4% military
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
, and 2% scheduled commercial
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
. At that time there were 4 aircraft based at this airport, all single-engine
Aircraft engine
An aircraft engine is the component of the propulsion system for an aircraft that generates mechanical power. Aircraft engines are almost always either lightweight piston engines or gas turbines...
.
Airlines and destinations
Disasters
Aloha Island Air Flight 1712On October 28, 1989, Aloha Island Air flight 1712, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft, collided with mountainous terrain near Halawa Valley, Molokai, while en route on a scheduled passenger flight from Kahului Airport
Kahului Airport
Kahului Airport is a regional airport in the state of Hawai'i, located east of the Kahului CDP in Maui County on the island of Maui near Haleakala. Most flights into OGG originate from Honolulu International Airport; the Honolulu–Kahului corridor is one of the busiest air routes in the US,...
to Molokai Airport in Hoolehua.
The NTSB determined the cause of the accident was the airplanes controlled flight into terrain as a result of the decision of the captain to continue the flight under visual flight rules
Visual flight rules
Visual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
at night into instrument meteorological conditions, which obscured rising mountainous terrain.
All 20 aboard the aircraft died. Thirteen of the victims were from Molokai, including eight members of the Molokai High School boys and girls volleyball teams and two faculty members. The girls team had just qualified on Maui for the state tournament.
Media appearances
The mission "Hawaiian Checkout" supplied with Microsoft Flight Simulator XMicrosoft Flight Simulator X
Microsoft Flight Simulator X, also known as FSX, is the latest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator after Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004...
begins at Molokai Airport.