Overview
A twin-engine airplane that departed Honolulu, Hawaii, for Tinian Island in the Northern Mariana Islands never arrived at its intended destination and is presumed destroyed. The commercial pilot is presumed to have sustained fatal injuries. The flight was a ferry crossing over the Pacific Ocean.
Flight Plan and Communication
The pilot planned to stop at Majuro Island in the Marshall Islands to refuel. According to air traffic control (ATC) summaries and transcripts, the pilot experienced difficulty communicating with his high frequency (HF) radio. He relayed his last position to ATC through another aircraft and requested a climb to 10,000 feet mean sea level (msl). He then relayed that he had leveled off at 10,000 feet, which was the final radio transmission received.
Fuel System and Endurance
Supplemental fuel tanks were added to the aircraft's existing fuel system, providing a total of 373 gallons of aviation gasoline. The pilot calculated he had approximately 15 hours of endurance and estimated the flight would take 12.5 hours.
Weather and Prior Ferry
A weather study conducted for the pilot's planned route did not indicate that severe weather scenarios existed. The airplane had been ferried from the U.S. mainland to Honolulu a few weeks before the accident, and no anomalies with the airplane were reported.
Cabin Door Concern
The ferry tank installation in the aircraft cabin partially blocked the single right side cabin door. In the event the pilot had to ditch the airplane in the ocean, it is questionable whether he would have been able to exit the airplane with his survival equipment in an expeditious manner.