- Date
- June 18, 1991, 19:10 local (Jun 19, 1991, 02:10 UTC)
- Place
- Pacific Ocean (Pacific Ocean)
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7029CGrumman HU-16E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910618022449A
- Case key
- 27253
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper touchdown in the water causing substantial damage. Loss of power on the number 2 engine and the pilot's lack of qualifications were factors in the accident.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During cruise flight the accident aircraft lost oil pressure in the number 2 engine. Flight could not be sustained using the remaining engine. According to the pilot, the remaining engine would overheat when power was applied. The crew descended to just above the water and tried to fly the aircraft in ground effect, but to no avail. They elected to ditch the aircraft. During the landing, the aircraft received substantial damage and was almost immediately flooded, causing the aircraft to sink. The crew escaped, but did not have time to retrieve emergency gear. They were rescued after about 20 hours in the water. Evidence revealed that the pilot did not have a pilot's certificate. No evidence could be found to indicate that the pilot had any experience in the accident aircraft or with any sea plane. Since the aircraft sank, a cause for the engine problems could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7029C
- Reported as
- Grumman HU-16E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 99-7213
- Engine
- Curtis Wright 1820-76-D/C, 1,450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Pacific Flying Fish, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Pacific Flying Fish, Inc.
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
- Destination
- PHOG · Maui, HI
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Medical
- Class 1
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 25 knots
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.