What happened
During a scheduled delivery flight operating from San Jose toward Honolulu, the aircraft experienced a critical mechanical issue. While positioned approximately 1,500 km northwest of the Hawaiian Islands, the pilot notified Air Traffic Control regarding an engine failure. Due to the nature of the malfunction, the decision was made to perform an emergency ditching in the ocean.
The aircraft subsequently impacted the water and came to a stop on the surface. Tragically, the incident resulted in one fatality involving the pilot.
Findings
Investigations into the accident focused on the loss of propulsion during the flight phase. The primary factor identified was a powerplant failure, though the specific underlying reason for the engine's malfunction remains undetermined.