20210624008149I

ON JUNE 24, 2021, THE PIC ON AIRCRAFT N2208Z DEPARTED HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (HNL) 0847 HOURS HAWAII STANDARD TIME ON A 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT. APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES INTO HIS FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED CROSSING THE WAIANAE MOUNTAIN RANGE, CLIMBED TO 4000 FEET OFF-SHORE OF MAKAHA, THEN ANNOUNCED POSITION, ALTITUDE, AND MANEUVERING. BEFORE ATTEMPTING HIS AEROBATIC MANEUVERS, HE VERIFIED AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS AND CHECKED SURROUNDING AIRSPACE. THE PILOT REPORTED AFTER FIVE MINUTES OF AEROBATIC MANEUVERS AND AT THE CONCLUSION OF A LOOP, HE THINKS, ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT ESTABLISHED A GLIDE AND BROUGHT THE THROTTLE BACK TO NEAR IDLE. THE ENGINE RESPONDED WITH POWER, BUT THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AT THE LOW POWER SETTING. ALTHOUGH HE ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DESCENT TO ADVANCE THE THROTTLE, HOPING IT WOULD RESPOND WITH MORE POWER, IT NEVER DID. THE PILOT DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY LIKE A LOUD MECHANICAL SOUND, SMOKE, LEAKING OIL, SHAKING, OR VIBRATION BEFORE LOSING POWER. HE THEN ANNOUNCED AN ENGINE PROBLEM AT 3500 FEET NEAR WAIANAE BOAT HARBOR. THE PILOT REPORTED LOOKING FOR PLACES TO LAND, DECIDED AGAINST THE BIG MILITARY FIELD DUE TO WIRES, DECIDED AGAINST A LONG STRAIGHT ROAD DUE TO POSSIBLE WIRES AND CARS DRIVING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, DECIDED AGAINST A SANDY BEACH, WHERE SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE ON THE BEACH. HE FINALLY DECIDED FOR A WATER DITCHING AND AIMED FOR MAILI POINT, A SURF SPOT ESTIMATED 120 YARDS FROM SHORE. AT LOW ALTITUDE, THE PILOT ACCOMPLISHED A SLIGHT FLARE TO BLEED OFF AIRSPEED, AND THE PROP WAS FIRST TO IMPACT THE WATER; THE AIRPLANE STOPPED & FLOATED. THE PILOT EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURIES. SURFERS WITHIN THE AREA ASSISTED HIM TO SHORE. AT THE SHORE, THE PIC WAS MET BY LIFEGUARDS, FIRE, POLICE, AND EMT PERSONNEL.

THE PIC STATED PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, HE COMPLETED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ADDED ONE QUART OF W100 OIL FOR A TOTAL OF 10 QUARTS. IN ADDITION, FUELED AIRCRAFT 14.2 GALLONS OF AVIATION GAS FROM "AIR SERVICE" FOR A TOTAL OF 34 GALLONS ONBOARD.

THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON JULY 01, 2020.

JUNE 26, 2021: INSPECTORS MET WITH THE DIVE SUPERVISOR FROM SEA ENGINEERING, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AT THE

WAIANAE BOAT HARBOR. BEFORE BOARDING THE DIVE BOAT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^BRIEFED EVERYONE THAT THE AIRCRAFT BROKE

APART OVERNIGHT DUE TO THE HIGH SURF. THE ONLY PARTS LEFT BELOW WITH 10 TO 12 FEET OF WATER WHERE THE

ENGINE, WING WITH THE ATTACHED LANDING GEARS, NOSE GEAR, AND NUMEROUS SMALL ITEMS AS NOTED IN THE

PICTURES?NO SIGN OF THE FUSELAGE. WE HEADED OUT TO THE CRASH SITE MAILI POINT (GPS LOCATION N21.24.404

W158.10.871), A POPULAR SURF SITE. DIVERS USED AIRBAGS TO LIFT THE AIRCRAFT PART OFF THE REEF THEN PULLED IT

FURTHER OUT TO SEA WHERE THE 84-FOOT KUPA'A WAS LOCATED. THE PIECE WAS THEN HOISTED UP TO THE DECK.

CONCLUSION:

NTSB HAS RECATEGORIZED THIS ACCIDENT AS A MINOR INCIDENT DUE TO THE PILOT'S REPORT OF DAMAGES TO THE

PROPELLER AND TAIL ONLY WAS SUSTAINED DURING LANDING WITHIN THE OCEAN. ALL OTHER DAMAGES TO THE AIRCRAFT

WERE SUSTAINED BY THE OCEAN CURRENT WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBMERGED IN TEN FEET OF WATER OVERNIGHT.

NO NTSB NUMBER WILL BE PROVIDED. NO FURTHER ACTION IS RECOMMENDED. AS A RESULT, THIS INVESTIGATION IS

CLOSED. DETAILS OF THE INVESTIGATION ARE DOCUMENTED IN PTRS# WP13202102266.