Skykits USA CORP SAVANNAH ADV accident near Ookala, Hawaii, April 19, 2012
On April 19, 2012 at about 8:39 pm local time, a 2006 Skykits USA CORP SAVANNAH ADV, registered N5089F, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Ookala, Hawaii. It was a personal 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
A loss of engine power during cruise for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to avoid an aerodynamic stall at low altitude during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 2012 · about 8:39 pm local time
- Place
- Ookala, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Skykits USA CORP SAVANNAH ADV, built 2006
- Registration
- N5089F · no longer on the register · serial 05-10-51-427
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The owner/pilot topped off both fuel tanks in the special light-sport airplane, flew uneventfully to another airport, and departed shortly thereafter. About 75 minutes after the initial departure, while in cruise flight at an altitude that the pilot estimated as between 2,500 and 3,000 feet, the engine lost power. Due in part to the airplane's low altitude, the pilot did not attempt any corrective actions, and focused on finding a suitable landing location. The pilot selected a young cornfield for the landing but stalled the airplane a few feet above the ground, which resulted in a near vertical impact trajectory in a flat attitude. The pilot reported that he believed that the power loss was due to asymmetric fuel feed from the two wing-mounted fuel tanks due to a plugged fuel vent in the left tank. Although the fuel vents were not examined, no mechanical failures or deficiencies that would have precluded continued engine operation were observed during examination of the airplane. Accordingly, the investigation did not determine a specific reason for the power loss, or the specific reason(s) why the pilot stalled the airplane.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Not specified
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 596 hours in all; 548 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 630 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UPP Hawi HI
- Destination: ITO Hilo HI
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from ITO, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.