What happened
During a scheduled ferry flight traveling from Honolulu toward Van Nuys, California, an aircraft experienced a total loss of power while cruising alongside the coast of Maui. The pilot, who was the only person on board, encountered a simultaneous failure of both engines during the flight. As the aircraft lost the ability to sustain its altitude, the pilot performed an emergency ditching approximately 22 miles away from the shoreline.
Following the impact with the ocean, the aircraft sank and was subsequently lost. Emergency responders successfully located and rescued the pilot, who survived the incident.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the primary reason for the crash was fuel exhaustion, which led to the dual engine failure during flight. Several contributing factors were identified in the official report, including:
- Inaccurate calculations regarding fuel consumption
- Poor management of available fuel supplies
- Insufficient preparation prior to the flight
- Errors in decision-making while in the air
- Disorientation and loss of navigation
- Failure of high-frequency (HF) communication equipment