Evolution Trikes REVO accident near Eleele, Hawaii, April 19, 2010
On April 19, 2010 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Evolution Trikes REVO (weight-shift aircraft), registered N98EV, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Eleele, Hawaii (Port Allen Airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power as a result of fuel exhaustion due to the pilot's improper decision to continue the flight after the low fuel warning. Contributing to the accident was the typographical error in the flight manual concerning the unusable fuel quantity.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 2010 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Eleele, Hawaii · Port Allen Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Evolution Trikes REVO · all REVOs on the register
- Registration
- N98EV · no longer on the register · serial 000551
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The sport instructor pilot reported that during a student pilot’s first dual instructional flight, the engine lost power while on a 1.5 mile final to land. The instructor made a forced landing on a dirt road during which the trike nosed over. Post accident examination of the trike revealed 1.2 gallons of fuel remained in the tank, which is at or below the empty markings of the fuel tank. The manufacturer reported that the unusable fuel level is 1.4 gallons. The aircraft was equipped with a fuel monitoring system that activates once the fuel level drops below 2.7 gallons. The pilot told witnesses that he had observed the low fuel warning on the instrument panel. The aircraft flight manual had a typographical error, which stated the unusable fuel was 0.4 gallons. As a result of this accident investigation the manufacturer corrected the error and reissued the corrected page to the aircraft flight manual.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel exhaustion during approach defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel quantity indicator › Incorrect use/operation
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Related operating info
- factor Organizational issues › Development › Design › Design of document/info › Manufacturer
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: instructor: sport pilot
- Flight time: 17,013 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 16,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 12, 2009
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 24 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, April 16, 2010; 8 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Birds In Paradise LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PAK Eleele HI
- Destination: PAK Eleele HI
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from PHLI, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N98EV the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR10CA224.