Pilot Debrief

SLING AIRCRAFT (PTY) LTD SLING LSA near Makanalua, HI — 2026-05-25

Investigation ongoingANC26LA044
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Date
2026-05-25
Location
Makanalua, HI, USA
Airport
LUP
Aircraft
SLING AIRCRAFT (PTY) LTD SLING LSA
Registration
N83PF
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

On May 25, 2026, about 1110 Hawaii-Aleutian Standard time, a Sling Aircraft LSA, N83PF, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Kalaupapa, Hawaii Airport (LUP). The two pilots onboard sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was being operated by Pacific Fight Academy, a 14 CFR part 61 flight school based at Honolulu Airport (HNL), Honolulu, Hawaii. According to the private pilot, he and his pilot-rated passenger were on a cross-country flight to the Island of Molokai to build time. They flew along the coastline of Molokai and were approaching LUP, the engine began to run rough, white smoke entered the cockpit through the air vent and the engine appeared to be losing power. The pilot shut down the engine and maneuvered the airplane to line up with the runway. He felt they would not make the runway and initiated a right turn toward a nearby bay to avoid landing on the rocky coast. The airplane contacted the water and immediately became inverted; both pilots self-extricated. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, fuselage, and rudder. The accident airplane was equipped with a 100-horsepower Rotax, 912 iS Sport series engine. During the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge’s follow-up examination of the engine, the No. 2 cylinder exhaust valve stem was observed to be fractured from the valve spring retainer, the valve stem had fallen into the No. 2 combustion chamber, metal fragments were present in the valve covers on all cylinders. Figure 1 Fractured valve stem The engine was retained by the NTSB for further examination.

Preliminary NTSB coding

  • Loss of engine power (total) · Approach-VFR pattern downwind
  • Loss of engine power (partial) · Enroute-cruise
  • Engine Failure Enroute
View NTSB preliminary report

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