1 fatality

1981-06-19: Piper PA-60 Aerostar (Ted Smith 600) (ZK-EHR) — Private New Zealand — Honolulu, United States of America

Honolulu, United States of AmericaFlight

On June 19, 1981, a Piper PA-60 Aerostar (Ted Smith 600) (registration ZK-EHR) operated by Private New Zealand was involved in an aviation accident near Honolulu, United States of America in flight. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The cause of the accident remains undetermined due to a lack of physical evidence following the disappearance. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781222520Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft disappeared into the ocean near Honolulu during a delivery flight, leaving no trace of the plane or the pilot.

What happened

During a scheduled ferry flight intended to transfer an aircraft to a new owner, an incident occurred involving a single-pilot operation. While performing the delivery mission, the aircraft went down in the waters located off the coast of Honolulu.

At the time of the accident, the pilot was the only person on board. Following the disappearance, emergency responders conducted an extensive search operation across the area. However, these efforts were unsuccessful, and neither the wreckage nor the pilot was ever found.

Findings

Official investigations into the crash concluded that there was insufficient evidence to reconstruct the final moments of the flight. Because no debris or remains were recovered from the sea, investigators were unable to identify a specific reason for the loss of the aircraft.

Probable cause

The cause of the accident remains undetermined due to a lack of physical evidence following the disappearance.