What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 25, 2026, about 1110 hawaii-aleutian standard time, a Sling light-sport aircraft sustained substantial damage during an accident near Kalaupapa Airport (lup), Kalaupapa, Hawaii. The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 personal flight.
The airplane was operated by a 14 CFR part 61 flight school based at honolulu airport (hnl), honolulu, Hawaii. According to the pilot, he and the pilot-rated passenger were conducting a cross-country flight to the island of molokai. While flying along the coastline of molokai and approaching lup, the engine began operating rough, white smoke entered the cockpit through an air vent, and the engine appeared to be losing power.
The pilot shut down the engine and maneuvered the airplane toward the runway. When he determined that the airplane would not reach the runway, he initiated a right turn toward a nearby bay. The airplane subsequently impacted the water and came to rest inverted. Both occupants exited the airplane without assistance.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, fuselage, and rudder.
The accident airplane was equipped with a 100-horsepower Rotax 912 is sport series engine. During a follow-up examination of the engine, the no. 2 cylinder exhaust valve stem was found fractured at the valve spring retainer. The valve stem had separated and fallen into the no. 2 combustion chamber. Metal fragments were also observed within the valve covers of all cylinders.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 25, 2026, ABOUT 1110 HAWAII-ALEUTIAN STANDARD TIME, A SLING LIGHT-SPORT AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN ACCIDENT NEAR KALAUPAPA AIRPORT (LUP), KALAUPAPA, HAWAII. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PILOT-RATED PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY A 14 CFR PART 61 FLIGHT SCHOOL BASED AT HONOLULU AIRPORT (HNL), HONOLULU, HAWAII. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE AND THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER WERE CONDUCTING A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO THE ISLAND OF MOLOKAI. WHILE FLYING ALONG THE COASTLINE OF MOLOKAI AND APPROACHING LUP, THE ENGINE BEGAN OPERATING ROUGH, WHITE SMOKE ENTERED THE COCKPIT THROUGH AN AIR VENT, AND THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE LOSING POWER.
THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE TOWARD THE RUNWAY. WHEN HE DETERMINED THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT REACH THE RUNWAY, HE INITIATED A RIGHT TURN TOWARD A NEARBY BAY. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE WATER AND CAME TO REST INVERTED. BOTH OCCUPANTS EXITED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT ASSISTANCE.
THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, FUSELAGE, AND RUDDER.
THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A 100-HORSEPOWER ROTAX 912 IS SPORT SERIES ENGINE. DURING A FOLLOW-UP EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE, THE NO. 2 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE STEM WAS FOUND FRACTURED AT THE VALVE SPRING RETAINER. THE VALVE STEM HAD SEPARATED AND FALLEN INTO THE NO. 2 COMBUSTION CHAMBER. METAL FRAGMENTS WERE ALSO OBSERVED WITHIN THE VALVE COVERS OF ALL CYLINDERS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.