ALOHA FLIGHT 243 Aloha Flight 243 - Air Disaster

History of the Flight

On April 28, 1988, an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737, N73711, based at the Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii, was scheduled for a series of Interisland flights to be conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 121. A captain and first officer were assigned for the first six flights of the day with a planned first officer change to complete the remainder of the daily schedule.

The first officer checked in with the dispatch office about 0500 Hawaiian standard time at the Aloha Airlines Operations Facility. After familiarizing himself with the flight operations paperwork, he proceeded to the Aloha Airlines parking apron and performed the preflight inspection required by company procedures before the first flight of the day. He stated that the airplane maintenance log release was signed and that there were no open discrepancies. He prepared the cockpit for the external portion of the preflight, exited the airplane In predawn darkness, and performed the visual exterior inspection on the lighted apron. He stated that he found nothing unusual and was satisfied that the airplane was ready for flight.

The captain checked in for duty about 0510; he completed his predeparture duties in the dispatch office and then proceeded to the airplane.

The crew flew three roundtrip flights, one each from Honolulu to Hilo, Maui, and Kaual. They reported that all six flights were uneventful and that all airplane systems performed in the normal and expected manner. Flightcrew visual exterior inspections between flights were not required by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accepted company procedures, and none were performed.

At 1100, a scheduled first officer change took place for the remainder of the day. The crew flew from Honolulu to Maui and then from Maui to Hilo. As with the previous flights of the day, no system, powerplant, or structural abnormalities were noted during these operations, and the flights were uneventful. Neither pilot left the airplane on arrival in Hilo, and the crew did not perform any visual exterior inspection nor were they required to do so.