Piper PA-28-181 accident near Hilo, Hawaii, November 21, 1999
On November 21, 1999 at about 5:31 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N4148X, was destroyed in an accident near Hilo, Hawaii. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An oil starvation induced failure and seizure of the engine. The reasons for the oil starvation event are undetermined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 1999 · about 5:31 am local time
- Place
- Hilo, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N4148X · no longer on the register · serial 2843275
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot ditched the airplane at sea following the failure and seizure of the engine. The FAA had issued a special airworthiness certificate for a ferry flight for the new airplane on November 15, 1999. The airplane had been modified with a special 110-gallon synthetic fuel bladder located behind the pilot's seat. The airplane took off at 0630 PST for the trans Pacific flight to Hawaii, and eventually Sydney, Australia. The pilot said that the flight was normal until they were approximately 600 nautical miles from Hilo, when they noticed a gradual loss of oil pressure accompanied by an increasing oil temperature. The pilot called the U.S. Coast Guard for assistance and they launched an airplane to provide an escort towards Hilo. The pilot stated that the engine seized when they were approximately 340 miles from Hilo. A complete loss of oil pressure and a knocking sound from the engine preceded the seizure. A merchant ship rescued the pilot and his passenger after they spent about 10 hours in the ocean. The pilot stated that the airplane had undergone a 50-hour inspection, and that it had about 35-38 hours total time on it when it sank.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 37 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 28, 1999; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SBA Santa Barbara CA at 2:30 pm
- Destination: KITO Hilo
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,100 ft; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from ITO, 340 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.