Britten-Norman ISLANDER BN2B-20 accident near Pacific Ocean, PO, December 2, 1994
On December 2, 1994, a Britten-Norman ISLANDER BN2B-20, registered N16VM, was destroyed in an accident near Pacific Ocean, PO. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An undetermined failure of the left engine. The inability of the airplane to maintain level flight and exceeding the one-engine capability was a factor in the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 2, 1994
- Place
- Pacific Ocean, PO
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Britten-Norman ISLANDER BN2B-20 ISLANDER B
- Registration
- N16VM · no longer on the register · serial 2204
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A FLIGHT OF TWO ON A FERRY FLIGHT FROM THE MARSHALL ISLANDS TO HONOLULU, HAWAII. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS AND WAS OPERATED ON A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE THAT ALLOWED FOR 10 PERCENT OVER GROSS WEIGHT OPERATIONS. ABOUT 2 HOURS AFTER DEPARTURE, WHILE AT AN ALTITUDE OF 7,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL, THE ACCOMPANYING AIRPLANE NOTICED SMOKE TRAILING FROM THE LEFT ENGINE OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT. THE TWO AIRCRAFT TURNED AROUND AND THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. THE LEFT ENGINE OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE QUIT AND THE PILOT FEATHERED THE PROPELLER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DITCHED IN ROUGH WATER AND SUBSEQUENTLY SANK. THE PILOT WAS RESCUED ABOUT 20 HOURS AFTERWARDS.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,900 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 9,400 as pilot in command; 1,230 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,359 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 3, 1994; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,600 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-KIB5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Southern Cross Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: PKJM Marshall Island
- Destination: HNL Honolulu HI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.