What happened
A ferry flight traveling from San Jose, California, toward Honolulu entered an emergency state during its approach to the islands. The crew utilized an auxiliary emergency system to report that all primary communication and navigation equipment had ceased functioning. Shortly after this declaration, the aircraft impacted the ocean near Honolulu.
Search and rescue operations were launched immediately following the disappearance. However, these efforts were terminated several days later because no debris or evidence of the aircraft was located. The incident resulted in the loss of the two crew members.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the primary cause was a double engine failure resulting from fuel exhaustion. Several critical issues contributed to the inability to navigate or communicate during the final stages of flight:
- Total depletion of onboard fuel
- Complete loss of both engines
- Malfunction of the Loran receiver and HF radio
- Inoperable communication and navigation systems
- Crew disorientation due to equipment failure