Date:	Thursday 9 December 1982
Time:	02:28
Type:	Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain
Owner/operator:	Brent's International Inc
Registration:	N74957
MSN:	31-7305106
Total airframe hrs:	5093 hours
Engine model:	LYCOMING LTIO-540-J2BD
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	500 miles E of Oahu, HI -   Pacific Ocean
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California (OAK/KOAK)
Destination airport:	Honolulu International Airport, Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL/PHNL)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AT 17:33 PST ON A NIGHT FLIGHT TO HONOLULU, HAWAII. THE FLIGHT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 00:50 PST WHEN THE PILOT ADVISED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SLOWLY LOSING OIL PRESSURE. AT THAT TIME, THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF 6,000 FEET. AT 02:05 PST, THE PILOT REPORTED HE SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE & WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN 6,000 FEET.

A DESCENT WAS STARTED. IN HIS LAST TRANSMISSION AT 02:28 PST, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS AT 500 FEET, BARELY MAINTAINING ALTITUDE. RADIO CONTACT WAS LOST WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES EAST OF HONOLULU.

AT 15:59 PST, THE CREW OF A SEARCH AIRCRAFT SIGHTED FLOATING DEBRIS & 1 BODY FLOATING IN THAT AREA. A MARKER BUOY WAS DEPLOYED, BUT NO RECOVERY WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED & BOTH OCCUPANTS [CREW OF TWO] WERE PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN FATALLY INJURED.

THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN MODERATE SEA CONDITIONS WITH WAVES HEIGHTS ESTIMATED AT 3 TO 5 FEET. IT IS WORTH NOTING THE THAT FAA CANCELLED THE REGISTRATION N74957 ON DECEMBER 28 1982 AS "EXPORTED TO NEW ZEALAND", SO IT IS LIKELY THAT THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED WHILST ON THE DELIVERY FLIGHT FROM OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA TO NEW ZEALAND [VIA HONOLULU, HAWAII].
tHIS THEORY CORRECT - AIRCRAFT WAS INTENDED TO BECOME ZK-TNA.

1. NTSB Identification: LAX83FA055 at https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20020917X04798&key=1
2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=74957
3. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.baaa-acro.com/1982/archives/crash-of-a-piper-pa-31-navajo-chieftain-in-pacific-ocean-2-killed/]
4. http://planecrashmap.com/plane/hi/N74957/
5. Aviation Historical Society of New Zealand, Journal, Vol 26 No 1, 1983.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Oct-2008 10:30	ASN archive	Added
13-Jun-2015 21:39	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
21-Dec-2016 19:23	ASN Update Bot	Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
28-Sep-2017 21:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
03-Aug-2020 07:18	Ron Averes	Updated [Source, Narrative]
04-Jun-2022 16:15	Ron Averes	Updated [Location, Country]
11-Jun-2023 21:46	Ron Averes	Updated [[Location, Country]]