Edra Aeronautica Seastar accident near Kapolei, Hawaii, August 25, 2007
On August 25, 2007 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Edra Aeronautica Seastar, registered N559AW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kapolei, Hawaii (Kalaeloa Airport (John Rogers)). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation that resulted from the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and failure to ensure that an adequate fuel supply was onboard the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2007 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Kapolei, Hawaii · Kalaeloa Airport (John Rogers) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Edra Aeronautica Seastar
- Registration
- N559AW · registry record · serial S0169
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was to be the airplane's first flight since completion. The pilot/builder reported that the departure roll was smooth and the controls felt normal. As the airplane reached about 30 feet above ground level (agl), the engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot configured the airplane in a nose-low attitude in an effort to prevent a stall. The airplane landed hard on the left main landing gear, which subsequently collapsed. The airplane skidded off the left side of the runway. The pilot stated that the wing fuel tanks were empty during departure, and that he had 6 gallons in the interior fuselage header fuel tank. The kit manufacturer advised that flight with the airplane in such a fuel system configuration is allowable. Following the accident, an FAA inspector examined the airplane and upon disassembly of the carburetor, found only a small amount of water (several drops) and trace amounts of fuel in the bowl. When fuel was plumbed to the engine, it was started and run with no anomalies noted. The inspector opined that the pilot failed to have an adequate supply of fuel onboard the airplane during departure, resulting in a fuel starvation event.
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: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 56 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 21 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 1,430 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHJR Kapolei HI at 7:50 pm
- Destination: PHJR Kapolei HI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4L, 4,500 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from PHJR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.