Cessna 150J accident near Honolulu, Hawaii, June 16, 2007
On June 16, 2007 at about 3:53 am local time, a Cessna 150J, registered N60020, was destroyed in an accident near Honolulu, Hawaii. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 16, 2007 · about 3:53 am local time
- Place
- Honolulu, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150J · all 150Js on the register
- Registration
- N60020 · registry record · serial 15070008
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The active duty military pilot rented the airplane, while on leave, for a flight from Honolulu, Hawaii, to the island of Maui, and return. He received a checkout flight (1.2 hours) in the aircraft the day before. The pilot topped off the fuel tanks, which gave him 22.5 gallons useable, before the flight. The flight over was uneventful, but on his return flight, he lost total engine power at 2,000 feet, approximately 10 nautical miles east of his destination. The pilot described the power loss as follows: "The engine smoothly 'rolled back' in RPM to something less than cruise power as if power was simply reduced. It ran smoothly with no inconsistency for approximately one minute, and then completely stopped." He successfully ditched the aircraft into the Pacific Ocean. The two occupants exited the aircraft with an inflatable raft and were rescued. Air traffic control tower records indicate that the pilot's flight time to Maui was 1 hour, 34 minutes, and his return flight from takeoff to ditching was 45 minutes. The airplane's fuel consumption rate should have been between 6 and 7 gallons per hour. The airplane sank in deep water, and was not recovered.
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, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,068 hours in all; 54 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,507 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2007
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGG Kahului HI
- Destination: HNL Honolulu HI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from HNL
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.