Incident Details
A pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, departed Kansas City on a delivery flight to Honolulu with an intermediate stop in Los Angeles. While cruising by night over the Pacific Ocean, the pilot declared an emergency and reported a position approximately 646 miles northeast of Oahu Island.
Search Efforts
Search and rescue (SAR) operations were conducted but were eventually suspended after several days as no trace of the aircraft or the pilot was found.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the incident was inadequate preflight preparation on the part of the pilot. Engine failure in flight was caused by a lubricating issue and oil exhaustion. No additional oil was carried; the engine lost oil pressure and subsequently failed.