No clues yet as to
why plane crashed
on Molokai

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By Diana Leone
dleone@starbulletin.com

The wreckage of a Cessna 172 recovered from northeast Molokai yesterday didn't yield a definite answer as to why the plane crashed there two Saturdays ago, a National Transportation Safety Board inspector said.

The single-engine plane, piloted by 17-year-old Mililani High School senior Chezray Hayes, was retrieved from the west side of Manuahi Ridge near Pelekunu Valley.

Hayes had been on a solo flight from Honolulu to Maui when he failed to arrive at Kahului Airport, setting off a search that lasted until Monday, when the plane was located and Hayes' body removed from the wreckage.

Yesterday, Pacific Helicopters of Maui used two helicopters to carry pieces of the wrecked plane to the Molokai Airport, said NTSB investigator Nicole Charnon.

Four workers, some hired for the job from county fire and rescue squads, rappelled down several hundred feet from the helicopters and secured the plane pieces in baskets, Charnon said. The operation took about nine hours and four trips back and forth to the airport, she said.

Given the rough terrain, the operation "went surprisingly smooth," Charnon said.

"Pretty much whole cockpit area was burned, was just molten metal," Charnon said.

"It's a fairly simple aircraft and we didn't find any anomalies" with the engine or flight control systems, Charnon said. "It did sustain quite a bit of fire damage, but there is no evidence of a pre-impact fire before hitting the mountain."

Charnon will not write a report on the cause of the wreck until she has weather and air traffic control information, which she has requested, she said.

She released the plane yesterday to an agent for the plane's insurer, W. Brown & Associates of Los Angeles.

The plane is owned by George's Aviation of Oahu, where Hayes had been taking flying lessons.

A memorial mass will be held for Hayes at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. John Apostle & Evangelist Church, followed by visitation at 5 p.m. and a memorial service at 6:30 p.m. Attire is casual and the family requests no flowers.

Hayes was born in Honolulu. He is survived by his parents, Mitch and Natalie; sisters Taliya and Keylee; and grandparents Katsue and George Stout, Michiko Gonder and Edward Hayes.