What happened
During a ferry flight traveling from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, the pilot encountered weather conditions that significantly impacted fuel consumption. Although the preflight weather briefing indicated light and variable winds at flight altitude, the aircraft encountered significant headwinds during the journey.
At 7 hours and 10 minutes into the flight, the pilot calculated that there were 8 hours and 40 minutes of fuel remaining, with 7 hours and 40 minutes required to reach the destination. Three hours after that calculation, the pilot determined that the required 2-hour fuel reserve had been depleted.
In response to the low fuel situation, the pilot declared a fuel emergency and diverted the aircraft toward Hilo, Hawaii. Approximately 2.5 hours after declaring the emergency, the pilot elected to ditch the aircraft in the Pacific Ocean while the engines were still producing power. The pilot was not injured, successfully evacuated the aircraft before it sank, and was subsequently rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.