What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 15, 2026, at approximately 1025 atlantic standard time, an experimental amphibious airplane was being operated as a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight from arecibo, puerto rico, to san juan, puerto rico. While approximately 5 nautical miles from the destination airport, at about 1,000 feet mean sea level and near the levittown water tank visual reporting point, the pilot observed the “engine” annunciator lights illuminate. The pilot checked the digital engine display and observed an “oil PSI” warning. The analog oil temperature gauge provided no indication.
The engine experienced a loss of oil pressure followed by a partial loss of power, which was reported to air traffic control. The engine subsequently lost all power. Unable to glide the airplane to the destination airport, the pilot elected to conduct a forced landing in the bay near levittown, puerto rico. The landing occurred in rough water conditions and resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. The pilot exited the aircraft without injury. No post-accident fire or explosion was reported.
On April 23, 2026, a post-accident visual examination of the engine revealed that the oil line between the oil pump housing and the oil cooler had separated from the oil cooler adapter at the barbed end of the b-nut assembly. Oil discharge was observed on the right side of the engine cowling and on the empennage. The separated oil line condition was consistent with the reported loss of oil pressure and subsequent loss of engine power.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 15, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1025 ATLANTIC STANDARD TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMPHIBIOUS AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT FROM ARECIBO, PUERTO RICO, TO SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO. WHILE APPROXIMATELY 5 NAUTICAL MILES FROM THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, AT ABOUT 1,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL AND NEAR THE LEVITTOWN WATER TANK VISUAL REPORTING POINT, THE PILOT OBSERVED THE “ENGINE” ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATE. THE PILOT CHECKED THE DIGITAL ENGINE DISPLAY AND OBSERVED AN “OIL PSI” WARNING. THE ANALOG OIL TEMPERATURE GAUGE PROVIDED NO INDICATION.
THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE FOLLOWED BY A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER, WHICH WAS REPORTED TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL. THE ENGINE SUBSEQUENTLY LOST ALL POWER. UNABLE TO GLIDE THE AIRPLANE TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONDUCT A FORCED LANDING IN THE BAY NEAR LEVITTOWN, PUERTO RICO. THE LANDING OCCURRED IN ROUGH WATER CONDITIONS AND RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND EMPENNAGE. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. NO POST-ACCIDENT FIRE OR EXPLOSION WAS REPORTED.
ON APRIL 23, 2026, A POST-ACCIDENT VISUAL EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE OIL LINE BETWEEN THE OIL PUMP HOUSING AND THE OIL COOLER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE OIL COOLER ADAPTER AT THE BARBED END OF THE B-NUT ASSEMBLY. OIL DISCHARGE WAS OBSERVED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COWLING AND ON THE EMPENNAGE. THE SEPARATED OIL LINE CONDITION WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE REPORTED LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.