Accident Overview
On an inter-island cargo flight conducted under 14 CFR 135, the pilot reported to the Honolulu Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) that the airplane was experiencing a loss of propeller RPM. The pilot did not report that the engine was losing power. Shortly thereafter, the airplane crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
Pilot Report
The only communication from the pilot to air traffic control was the indication of a loss of propeller RPM. No mention of engine power loss was made. The aircraft was not recovered, and no further transmissions were received.
Search Effort
A search operation lasting two days did not locate the aircraft or the pilot. The airplane and its pilot remain unrecovered.
Propeller Information
The propeller had recently been overhauled and installed on the airplane. At the time of the accident, the propeller had accumulated approximately 10 hours of operation since the overhaul.