Summary
On January 25, 2015, about 1644 Hawaiian standard time, a Cirrus Design Corporation SR22, registration N7YT, ditched into the waters of the Pacific Ocean approximately 230 miles east of Maui, Hawaii. The airplane was operated by The Flight Academy under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the repositioning flight from Tracy, California, to Maui.
Circumstances
The flight departed Tracy about 0530. According to the pilot's statement to the NTSB, the flight was uneventful, and a previous fuel transfer from the front and aft auxiliary fuel tanks was successful when the flight was about 200 miles offshore. However, as the flight passed the BILLO intersection, the pilot opened the valves to transfer fuel from the aft auxiliary fuel tank to the right wing fuel tank and did not observe any fuel flow. After verifying that the pressure line was open, he closed the aft tank valve and opened the forward auxiliary tank valve, observing immediate fuel flow to the right wing tank.
Fuel Transfer Attempts
The pilot reported that well past the halfway point to Hawaii, he performed various maneuvers to get fuel to flow from the aft auxiliary tank to either wing tank, with no success. Via satellite phone, he obtained troubleshooting assistance from company personnel. After transferring fuel from the forward auxiliary tank to both wing tanks, he estimated that he had enough fuel to be about 200 miles short of Hawaii. Multiple attempts to transfer fuel from the aft auxiliary tank to the main tanks failed. Siphoning fuel from the aft auxiliary to the forward auxiliary was partially successful, but eventually fuel would not transfer into either wing tank.
Ditching and Rescue
While in contact with the United States Coast Guard, the pilot decided he would eventually have to deploy the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). Informed of a nearby cruise ship, he diverted toward it. Once in the immediate vicinity, he activated the CAPS and the parachute deployed. The airplane descended under the canopy into the ocean. The pilot immediately exited the airplane and inflated an emergency life raft; he was extracted from the water shortly thereafter. The airplane submerged shortly after. As of the report, there was no intention to recover the wreckage.